The TV Harrison 
Sports Ground Association

The local group that came together in January 2019 to oppose the proposal put forward by the charity entrusted with the care of the Sports Ground to sell it to Leeds City Council for housing never dreamt that it would be a si year struggle but they were determined to succeed.

Now, four High Court cases later, and with the football pitch restored and maintained throughout that time, the ground declared an asset of community value, plus two and a half years of discussion with Leeds United for the club to take over the ground have all borne fruit as the group has won. The city council has withdrawn its planning application and the sale to Leeds United has been agreed. Everyone associated with the campaign is delighted and will be celebrating their success.

Michael Meadowcroft, Chair of the TV Harrison Sports Ground Association states:

This is a great victory for the local community and it shows that with determination and solidarity it is possible to beat the big establishment forces and to retain a historic local amenity

Along the journey there have been key individuals. The initial petition to Leeds City Council was led by Arron Lambert. The difficult research into key legal documents was done by Clare O'Keefe before she moved to Wakefield.  Lea Westerman took on the important secretarial and treasurer roles. David Binns put together the Business Plan and maintained the website.

A team of four, Mark Baum, Steve Housman, Dave Hewson and Simon Wintle took on the week by week task of maintaining the football pitch and keeping the whole ground in good order, with help from all members of the committee when needed, and the continual fundraising was led by Nadine Cuddy. All of this was supported by a committee that stayed together through the years and gained the Leeds United icon Peter "Stix" Lockwood as its honorary president.

I came in part way through to add my long years of political experience to deal with all the bureaucracy. We also had solid support from the local Green Councillors and, from 2022, the labour Councillor, now local MP, Mark Sewards who achieved the remarkable feat of persuading his own party on Leeds City Council to change it's policy and end its plans to develop the site.

Finally, Angus Kinnear, Chief Executive of Leeds United who understood the importance of a local ground for junior and women's teams and was prepared to get the club to buy the ground, thus preserving it for the future.

1. Clearing the undergrowth and reconstituting the football pitch to show that it could still be used as a local facility     with the proper maintenance;
2. Wining four High Court Cases against Leeds City Council which set aside the planning decisions and which made the City Council designate the ground as an Asset of Community Value, thus giving it a legal status;
3. The involvement from 2022 of Leeds United which crucially became the new owner and developer of the ground as a sports and community facility.  

Throughout the years local residents have supported the retention of the ground whenever they have been consulted and the Queen pub next to the ground has always been a supporter of the campaign. Latterly the Leeds Civic Trust has agreed to place a blue plaque on the pub wall to commemorate Tom Vernon Harrison's initiative in saving the ground in 1928, almost a century ago. 

The success of the campaign and the bright future for the ground and it's sports and community facilities are now assured. We no longer have to face the possibility of a fifth legal action to enforce the covenants that Harrison got inserted in the 1928 contracts to ensure the ground remained a facility for the children of Leeds. The committee is delighted that it's long struggle has been crowned with this success.

For further information please contact us