TWO West Somerset football clubs have applied for planning permission to install permanent ‘dugouts’ for coaches and substitute players at their grounds.

Watchet play in the top division of the Somerset County League and Minehead is a division below.

The ‘dugouts’ would be on the touchline either side of the half-way line in Watchet’s Memorial Recreation Ground and Minehead’s Irnham Recreation Ground.

They would be made of painted concrete blockwork and the Minehead club proposes to sink its ‘dugouts’ into the ground to allow spectators behind them to watch play.

Minehead currently uses portable plastic structures carried to the pitch side before matches, while Watchet does the same with timber-built ‘dugouts’.

The Watchet club’s planning agent, Kelvin Rufus, said: “The timber ‘dugouts’ have fallen into disrepair and are need of replacement.

“The manual lifting and carrying of the structures is not an ideal situation from various aspects, including personal safety.

“Additionally, their size is needed to be increased.”

Mr Rufus said the club had played football at the memorial ground since it was formed in 1887 and its success had made it known throughout the Westcountry.

He said it ran two men’s teams, one women’s team, two youth girls’ teams, and seven youth mixed teams.

Mr Rufus said: “Watchet Town Football Club provides an important sporting and social base for Watchet, and also provides employment servicing the clubhouse functions/facilities.”

Both the memorial ground committee and the town council said they did not have any objections to the Watchet ‘dugouts’ provided the football club took full responsibility for them.

Minehead planning agent Adam Elston, of Architectural Studio SW Ltd, said the club’s two mobile ‘dugout’ shelters were also in poor condition.

Plans for the Minehead ‘dugouts’ showed six seats, despite clubs frequently having five substitutes, a coach, assistant coach, a medical person, and often others needing to use them.