September 2007
During late early September 2007 rumours were circulating that the Highbury football pitch, adjacent Woodcock Road, Warminster, was being eyed up for residential development.
A letter published in the Warminster Journal, Friday 21st September 2007 (written by someone who preferred not to have their name and address known), read:
“Rumour has it that a prolific local property developer wants to build 24 executive homes on the precious Warminster Highbury Youth Football Club pitch in Woodcock Road.”
“I understand that this parcel of land was left by someone by the name of Teichman for the use of sporting activities by local children.”
“Who exactly is trying to sell this land and where are the proceeds going? Where are the young children who play on this site going to go? I’d like to know.”
“Warminster Highbury Youth FC committee is doing a very good with the children by giving them something to keep them off the streets plus instilling a bit of discipline, which can’t be a bad thing.”
“In the football season, Highbury Youth FC is well supported by the children and their parents and the pitch must be kept for them.”
The writer of that letter, although concerned about the loss of amenity if the land was built upon, got his/her facts wrong regarding Major Teichman.
Major Teichman did not leave the field for the use of children. From 1946 up until the time of his death he let the field, for the peppercorn rent of one shilling (5p) a year, to Highbury Football Club (a team playing in the Wiltshire League). After the death of Major Teichman (Tuesday 21st April 1959) Highbury Football Club raised the funds and purchased the field, becoming the owners. Youth football, as we know it today, began in earnest at Highbury football pitch in 1984 when the Celtic Boys (Warminster) FC was founded. The Celtic Boys. after about one year, changed their name to Highbury Youth Football Club, and some years later a further name change occurred, calling themselves Warminster Highbury Youth FC.
Quashing the rumours of residential development on the Highbury pitch, which were circulating in September 2007, the Chairman of Warminster Highbury Youth FC, said: “There are no building proposals and no offers have been made on the land. We have 240 boys and girls, aged from 6 to 17 years, playing in our club, and they are of paramount importance. The pitch is used on Saturday morning and all day on Sundays. We have so many teams we are having to rent additional facilities at Heytesbury, Sutton Veny, and at New Close School, Warminster, to accommodate them. We are spread around and if we could get one place under one roof it would be good but we haven’t heard of anything.”
Local property developer, David Deacon, was reported in the press as saying: “I would dearly love to build some houses there [Highbury Football Field] and have agents on the lookout for land, but I didn’t know it [Highbury Football Field] was on the market.”
And that was that, the rumours were quashed, no planning application was submitted, no homes were built, and the field continued as a football pitch.