Football games in Huddersfield are being repeatedly stopped so dog muck can be cleared from the playing fields.
Dog owners are being urged to be more responsible amid fears for the health of the players who are having to use shovels to clear the mess from the pitch during games.
Simon Swift, the founder of Dalton FC, who play at Standiforth playing fields, Grosvenor Road, Dalton, said the problem is getting worse.
“We seem to be continually shovelling dog muck off the pitch,” he said. “We clear as much as we can before a game, and I walk round the pitch but you can’t see it all.
“Then, as the game is going on, it suddenly stops and someone shouts ‘shovel’ and we have to go on and clear more off.
“It’s disgusting really.”
Simon said he is increasingly concerned about the health of the players.
“We had a player with a cut eye lid on Sunday and if dog mess had got on the ball and it then made contact with the cut, it could be very nasty,” he added. “People could get very ill.
“We just want to make the dog owners aware of the problem and how it is spoiling games for many people.”
He said the council has put up signs urging people to clear up after their dogs.
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“You can’t blame the council, they have been really good and have put up the signs, but some people don’t so much as look at them.
“It’s not only disgusting but also very annoying as people should know better and be prepared to clean up after their dogs.”
The club plays on Sundays and shares the pitch with a team which plays on a Saturday.
Simon added: “If the other team are at home on a Saturday they have to spend ages cleaning the pitch. If they are not playing, it means we have a really big job getting rid of all the mess on a Sunday morning. It’s not a pleasant job.”
