CIVIC leaders in Minehead are appealing for the public to stay off the grass in a desperate race against time to get the town's football pitch ready for the new season. As the Free Press revealed last week, the recent national championships staged by the Tug of War Association on the Irnham Road ground left a questionmark over whether it would be fit for the Western League First Division football club's first home fixture on August 13. Football club representatives claimed that the pitch had been left with huge ruts and both they and former town mayor Cllr Stan Taylor maintained that the Tug of War Association had gone back on a verbal agreement to put any damage right. But after Minehead Town Council, which owns the ground, agreed at its meeting last Wednesday to do everything it could to ensure the condition of the pitch was up to scratch, Cllr Taylor called on the Free Press to help publicise an appeal for people to stay off the area of the pitch that has been re- seeded for a second time. "I am assured that the grass will grow in time and obviously the area will need cutting and rolling but I believe it will be an adequate playing surface. " The recent sun and rain will undoubtedly help the situation but if people don't keep off it, it will not work." Cllr Taylor said he knew it was almost impossible to enforce as the pitch was part of a public park, used by hundreds of youngsters, particularly during the current summer holidays. "There is very little else we can do other than to appeal for the public's help in this matter." Meanwhile former Tug of War Association president Peter Baker, who lives at Kilve, insisted that the problems with the pitch were due to a "misunderstanding" between his organisation's officials and the town council. He said that the original discussions between the two parties had focused on Minehead hosting the European championships in 2007. "It was the town council that actually invited us to also stage the national championships in the town this year," said Mr Baker. "When we were last here in 1993 we paid a four figure sum to have the pitch reinstated and had a written contract to do so. "We will be doing the same thing in 2007 and I think Cllr Taylor and the town council simply assumed that would also apply to this year's championships." Mr Baker said he had been assured that no officials from his association had ever agreed to fund the reinstatement of the pitch following the 2005 event. "Hopefully this will not cast any shadow over the 2007 championships because we are very happy with Minehead as a venue and I think the town is happy with the number of people the event brings in."