I am an older member of Trowbridge Cricket Club and was disturbed by the outpouring of venom printed in the Wiltshire Times last week.

While I understand you may print readers letters and deny any responsibility for the content, I fail to see any purpose in printing a one sided attack on a body of people who are doing a good job.

In the article entitled Wanderers ready to battle on your reporting is grossly unfair and inaccurate, far from being turfed off as you suggest, two of the pitches are contractually available right through until August.

To play soccer on a cricket pitch must be a footballers dream. However the main cricket playing area has to be repaired, and allowed to recover ready for the season, which is why for the last ten years half of the pitches have been withdrawn at this time, also as per contract.

Trowbridge Cricket Club is a private club with responsibility for providing cricket facilities for its members. It also provides facilities and coaching for the young.

In the same way Trowbridge Rugby Club accepts the responsibility for making rugby available to the youth of the area.

The cricket and rugby clubs are not obliged to provide football facilities, but to ensure our kids have a free choice of sporting activities.

Colin Walker,

Whaddon Lane,

Hilperton.

I LIVE in the corner of Lower Court which backs on to the cricket club between the two fields.

From my daughter's bedroom window we have an excellent view of both fields. For the past two weeks the newspaper has been running a story and there have been letters written about the cricket club stopping 250 boys playing football on the cricket club pitches.

I can tell you that on March 6 my family were watching at least two games being played on the pitches on the hospital side.

On the following Saturday there were at least three matches being played on those same pitches. On this occasion I took some photographs, but I'm sure the paper doesn't need mine as I saw a professional newspaper photographer taking pictures of those same matches.

As a mathematician I would also like to point out that if all the pitches were used the maximum number of boys that could play is five x (11 + four? reserves) = 75 if every pitch was used twice that is still a maximum of 150 boys.

I suppose it helps to make their case look better by using 250, which I can only assume is their total membership. But are the cricket club really responsible for those that would have to be left out by their own selection processes.

I do hope that now the facts are known that this war being waged against the cricket club will cease.

In answer to M Clarke's letter in your paper last week, I can assure him that the 'gentlemen' of Trowbridge Cricket Club would not stoop to the exaggerations that have been printed in the name of Trowbridge Wanderers Football Club.

IAIN McELENY,

Social Member,

Trowbridge Cricket Club.

Reference recent letters regarding Trowbridge Town Football Club and Trowbridge Town Youth Football Club, all we hear is complaints about the suggestions of where the kids should be playing football.

For example, too much noise, too many cars and spoiling the countryside. What about the good side? Children off the streets having somewhere supervised to play, morale and team spirit amongst the children and where there is a football pitch at least they are not building more houses. I have a son who plays for the club and enjoys every minute of it along with the hundreds of other children and I believe it can only be a good thing for there to be more recreational ground for them to play on.

What would you rather, happy children playing safely or children outside your home kicking a ball against your wall or in your garden? It's about time Trowbridge Town Council began to think positively of providing places for the children to go with more and more houses being built in the area.

When we visit other towns in Wiltshire with the football club you can see just how far behind Trowbridge Town Youth is lacking in their facilities.

J Clift,

Trowbridge Town Youth parent.

I HAVE just been shown a copy of last week's Wiltshire Times and wonder if we live in the same county. Or is there another Trowbridge Cricket Club in another Wiltshire I don't know about?

For years now the newspapers in general have been accused of printing mis-truths, and being mischievous to boot.

Well done, you have managed in one fell swoop to exceed even this, go to the top of the pile or the bottom might be nearer the truth.

I live in a property overlooking both pitches of the cricket club, you know, the one near Palmer Garden Centre, Trowbridge, just to be sure we are talking about the same cricket club.

On March 6 I went out and watched a game being played for half an hour, and on the following Saturday, 13th, I again this time watched a game from my bedroom window. It is to my knowledge and observation that these were not the only matches played on those days on the cricket club ground. I also observed that a pitch was marked out opposite the main pavilion, but this was not played on to the best of my knowledge.

As a former police officer I am used to having to present credible evidence before making allegations, don't you feel you have the same obligation? Just what is going on? Do you have it in, as they say, for Trowbridge Cricket Club, or do you have a hidden agenda?

I look forward to some sort of reply, and in particular at the very least a retraction of the article, and editorial comment putting matters right. And an attempt at bringing together this community that your article has maliciously torn asunder.

COLIN G POPLETT

Lower Court

Trowbridge