A FOOTBALL team WILL get to play at its home ground over the Royal Wedding bank holiday – thanks to the Welwyn Hatfield Times.

Hatfield Town FC’s reserve team will play their weekend fixture on their home turf at Birchwood Leisure Centre, despite the rest of the centre being closed.

As reported last week, the Longmead facility will be closed throughout the Royal Wedding and May Day weekend.

The decision left Hatfield Town’s reserves looking for another ground to play at, and had already rescheduled their match against AFC Dunstable for a pitch 18 miles away in South Oxhey.

But after reading the Welwyn Hatfield Times’ story, Hatfield Town commercial manager Ted Collie and Hatfield Town Council leisure manager Mike Speddy came to an agreement, and the ground and changing rooms will be open for the team this Saturday.

Mr Collie said: “We have a good relationship with Birchwood and Hatfield Town Council and we’re delighted to have sorted this out.

“They’ve helped us out for years and are a credit to the town.”

The rest of the centre will, however, remain closed, and Mr Speddy explained why.

“We didn’t open last Easter either,” he said. “The last time we opened over Easter was in 2009, when we sold one badminton court, bringing in �50, but paid out �400 in wages.

“We have made a judgement that nobody is going to come in over the bank holiday.”