THERE are fears the final whistle may well have blown for competitive football on Minehead's Irnham Road recreation ground following the discovery of asbestos.

The ground was ruled out of bounds last Thursday when owner Minehead Town Council received the results of a pre-demolition asbestos report, which confirmed the presence of the potentially deadly material within the site.

Minehead Town Football Club was forced to cancel last Saturday's first team game and the weekend's junior matches and has been paying for all sides to train on the town's astroturf.

Now a war of words has broken out between the two sides with the club refusing to use the ground, even though the town council has subsequently overturned part of the ban and given the all-clear to use the changing rooms and pitches.

Club and football youth academy spokesman Matt Thresher said managers and coaches had a duty of care to their players and felt unable to safely use the ground until they had been given a copy of the full asbestos report.

"Last Thursday we were told the place was a death-trap and we weren't allowed in. Now this week, apparently, everything is fine.

"The town council can't have it both ways but without knowing the main thrust of the report how can we make a decision whether it is safe or not?

"We've asked for a copy but that's been denied, so we don't know where the asbestos is, whether it is high grade or low grade, or whether remedial work needs to be done.

"Once again it seems as though some councillors don't want us there and we've been left totally in limbo."

Minehead Town Council clerk Sue Sanders said the original decision to close the ground last week had been taken by the town council's Irnham Ground working group after a team of experts from Somerset County Council confirmed the presence of asbestos.

But following protests from the football club and a plea to be able to use the changing rooms, further advice was sought from the county's experts.

"The working group decided to shut the ground because of the asbestos risk and until they found out more details because the report is extremely technical and very thorough," said Mrs Sanders.

"The football club then asked if they could use the changing rooms to enable them to keep their fixtures so I got a confirmation from the asbestos team that they could use the changing rooms area.

"We're trying our best and we've told them they can use the changing rooms, so they don't have to cancel their matches."

She said she was unable to give the club a copy of the full report without the permission of full council, which would be meeting next Wednesday to discuss the implications of the discovery of asbestos.

"The council commissioned the report so it is up to councillors what they do with it and if they want to give the club a copy of the report they can," said Mrs Sanders.

"We've told the football club the changing rooms are safe to use and I've tried to answer all their questions - what more can we do?"

The report was commissioned by the town council as part of an agreed £1.3 million redevelopment of the Irnham Road site to provide a new home for the football club and give the town a purpose-built sports facility and community venue.

As revealed in the Free Press last month, councillors gave the scheme their backing after carrying out a feasibility study to replace the current dilapidated clubhouse, grandstand, changing rooms and social facility.

But the project might have to go ahead without the support of the football club, which is now considering pulling out of the Irnham Road ground altogether.

Mr Thresher said the club was in a "good place" with healthy accounts and widespread support for plans to create a centre of footballing excellence for the county.

"We are the only club in Somerset where the seniors and juniors are all under one roof," he said.

"The Football Association is extremely keen on the idea of financing a scheme to develop girls and youth football.

"We're hoping someone can help us find three or four acres of land somewhere on the outskirts of Minehead where we can set up a dedicated football facility."

Under the town council's proposals for Irnham Road, the existing buildings would be razed to the ground and a sports hall capable of seating 250 people, changing rooms, kitchen, cafe and community meeting room built in their place.

The first floor of the building would also house two community/training/functions rooms with spectator viewing, along with a health and fitness suite.

"Minehead's already got a multi-use sports facilities at the West Somerset Community College and Minehead EYE so the Irnham Road development is only going to work as a football club, we don't need all the other stuff.

"We need a simple structure with four changing rooms, a rest room and an area to serve refreshments on match days," Mr Thresher said.

He said club members planned to attend next Wednesday's town council meeting and hoped to be given a copy of the asbestos report before a decision had to be taken on whether to cancel the next home games in December.

The 1st XI have no fixture problem tomorrow (Saturday) as they are playing away to Tunley Athletic in the Somerset Senior Cup.