A CHAMPION youth football team is looking for a new home after being told to leave the club where it has played for the past two years.

Ashton Keynes U12s blue team won the North Wilts Youth Under 12s League Cup at the County Ground last weekend, beating Greenmeadow.

But now team coach and manager Andy Wilkins says they have been asked to leave Ashton Keynes Youth Football Club because they don’t contribute anything to the community and haven’t integrated.

The club has responded by praising his skills as a coach but claimed village children were not offered a chance to play in the team.

Mr Wilkins told the Advertiser: “It’s just a shame. We have got 11 boys, they come from all walks of life and they just want to play football.”

The team used to be based at the Supermarine ground when they were U8s but had gone to Ashton Keynes to play when their own pitches were flooded.

They liked the club so much he decided to move them over.

He said the team, some of whom lived at Cricklade and other places nearby, really enjoyed playing there.

When the club’s existing U12s team disbanded, two players had gone into the second team because his own team was playing a different style. Others had drifted away from the game.

“It’s not like there are kids at home crying because they can’t play,” he said.

Parents of his players were supporting the club, buying refreshments during matches and the team was playing good football. “I thought we were adding to the community,” he said.

He felt his players were being discriminated against because they didn’t live in the village. “It is football for all, providing you live in Ashton Keynes.”

He is now in talks with other clubs to find somewhere for the team to play next season.

Club chairman Mike Logan said: “We have a community-run shop, a community-run pub and we are a community-based club.”

He said Mr Wilkins had brought his team in lock, stock and barrel and village children had not been absorbed into it. None of the players came from the village or surrounding area.

The committee felt the team had not integrated enough and was being run completely separately, although it was using the club’s facilities.

It had offered the option for the team to follow the club’s inclusive philosophy. But although Mr Wilkins had responded with a commitment to integrate his team more, the vote went against him and the affiliation with the club was discontinued.

“The club is set up for the benefit of the community and if it is not serving the community then what is its purpose?” Mr Logan asked.

There was no question over Mr Wilkins’ skills. “Andy is a great coach,” he said. The club wished him well, but felt his approach did not match its own core principles.

“It just wasn’t working out and the committee thought the team would be better served playing somewhere else.”