KIRLEES Council taxpayers funded the new pitch at Huddersfield's John Smith’s Stadium, it has been revealed.

A new financing arrangement between Kirklees Council and the stadium will save the public hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But it has been confirmed that money given to the stadium by the council under the new deal paid for the £750,000 new pitch, which was laid last summer.

It was part of a £1.3m payout by the council to Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd (KSDL), revealed in draft accounts prepared by the authority.

Details of the pay-outs were queried by Huddersfield Town fan Robert Large, who has asked a series of questions of councillors and council officers.

He said last night: “It did seem an awful lot of money compared to the figures previously talked about.

“But if it saves the public money in the long term it is a good idea.

“Some people may question whether or not the council should be paying for a pitch to be used by two professional sports clubs, in Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants, but as the council are shareholders in the stadium it is in their interests”.

Many fans have been studying the figures closely as the row over ownership of the stadium shares drags on.

Town fans are demanding that their 40% share is returned to the soccer club from Huddersfield Sporting Pride, the company set up by Giants owner Ken Davy after he stepped in to help out Town in the days before Dean Hoyle took over.