A lack of 3G/4G pitches in West Norfolk is a concern

Winter is coming – and so are the football postponements.Whether it’s because of waterlogged or frozen pitches, the local sporting calendar will be ripped apart on many weekends due to poor weather.The backlog that ensues puts a further strain on participants’ bodies and facilities and leaves people kicking their heels.Grassroots sports like football remain crucial to communities and the finances of local pubs and social clubs and means so much to the mental health of so many people.With shorter days, and the stresses and strains of the festive season arriving for so many, we simply need to get as many games on as we can.One way to get around this is by using artificial 3G/4G pitches. Not a surface for the purists, they remain a surefire way to get more matches played and can boost the local economy too.The amount of them in West Norfolk remains a hot topic which reared its head at the weekend when Alex Walpole, a former PE teacher at King’s Lynn Academy and current Fakenham Town men’s first team manager, bemoaned the awarding of another facility to AFC Sudbury in Suffolk. Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: “Two 3G pitches at the same location (which is great by the way), whilst Fakenham, which has one of the biggest football offerings in Norfolk, can’t get one!” Conversations with fellow users highlighted the lack of similar options in Lynn and Downham – two of the bigger settlements in the county with thriving junior scenes.But it does beg some fairly simple questions; are the facilities in West Norfolk already good enough for football? Does Lynn deserve more 3Gs or should they go elsewhere? And what other sports are being overlooked when it comes to all-weather pitches too?Little more than 12 months ago, town councillors approved a suggestion to apply for funding for a ‘much needed’ 3G pitch which could enable more sports to be played in Downham. Yet funding and getting approval isn’t simple with such a project costing north of £1million.There are only so many funds to go around and bodies like Sport England are inundated with requests, yet it’s frustrating for those of us in the west of the county to see so much activity focused on locations in and around Norwich. Only last month, ambitious plans to build a new 3G football pitch in Lynn were withdrawn again. Concerns about a loss of open space and the impact on surrounding roads won’t wash with many.The Football Foundation and Norfolk FA can only do so much. Who is going to step up to help them achieve their goal? What do you think about the 3G facilities in West Norfolk? Email gavin@yourlocalpaper.co.uk and we’ll share the best views in next week’s Corner.It’s time to get back on a mic thanks to Northwold Sports and Social Club.The organisation’s seventh sporting evening will be held on Saturday, November 16 with Jason Doyle and Scott Nicholls the star guests.They’ll be there to talk speedway and much more with Nicholls also selling and signing copies of his new book. You can join them for free by correctly answering this question to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets: Who is appearing on stage at Northwold with Jason Doyle? Is it A) Scott Nicholls, B) Jason Nicholls or C) Colin Nicholls?Email your answer, and a contact telephone number, to gavin@yourlocalpaper.co.uk by 5pm on Sunday, November 10.The winner will be drawn at random and notified of their success that evening.Limited tickets are still available for the night (doors 7pm for an 8pm start), sponsored by Roger Warnes Transport and NRS Landscapes, and cost £20. Call David on 07768 090004 for more information or to secure your entry.Manchester United became a global phenomenon in the 1990s.But many young fans forget that their near complete dominance of the Premier League only came after they ended a 26-year wait for a top-flight crown.That 1992/93 success ushered in an era of trophies galore under Sir Alex Ferguson. However, it hasn’t always been that way at Old Trafford – and it certainly isn’t now. Despite winning two cups under Erik Ten Hag, the Red Devils sacked the Dutchman and have appointed Ruben Amorim as their new head coach. He is the club’s sixth permanent manager since Fergie’s 26-year reign ended with his retirement in 2013.Judging by some of the fare served up under Ten Hag and interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy this term, it might take another 26 years before United win the league again.Overpaid and underperforming players aren’t going to become world-beaters overnight. And even if they improve, they’ve surely got 18-24 months, minimum, to even get close to the standards set by sides like Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.That’s without thinking about trying to catch improving sides like Chelsea and Tottenham while progress at rejuvenated European champions like Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest show it’s going to be a long road back for Amorim and Co.