Ferdinand on form for Finsbury football pitches

Football legend Les Ferdinand joined local residents and football teams taking action to stop plans to build over Islington football pitches.

Ferdinand, former professional footballer and passionate Londoner, hosted a free children’s football training session at Finsbury Leisure Centre on Wednesday 20th November, before leading excited ­children, parents and coaches on a march to demonstrate the importance of four community pitches threatened by redevelopment. Highlighting his personal experience, he is backing calls to protect one of the few open spaces in inner city Islington for the benefit of local young people.

“When I was a child, I was part of a gang,” said Ferdinand, who played for Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United, as well as Newcastle United, “but luckily [for me], this was a football gang. Instead of searching for trouble and carrying knives, we played with each other, and carried a football. And all that was possible because there was a space for us to do it.”

Islington, like many parts of London, does not have enough green space for its population, but the Finsbury Leisure Centre football pitches offer a unique, vital opportunity for young people to exercise and socialise in one of the most densely populated boroughs in England and Wales. The pitches have been part of the community for nearly 50 years and are used by local schools, clubs and the London 5 a-side league, as well as residents.

But if Islington Council get its way, such a space will not exist for much longer.

These images show the site currently, and how it would look with the development proposed by Islington Council.

The council’s current proposal for the site is to replace the leisure centre, and build four new high rise buildings on the playing pitches area of the site with room for 100 new council homes and then a 100 commercial flats to finance them.

This meets Islington’s minimum for 50% of new residential properties to be genuinely affordable. The four new buildings would be of varying heights from 7 storeys to a maximum height of 20 storeys. The council’s proposal to mitigate the loss of the much-loved football pitches is to propose 5-a-side pitches on top of the leisure centre; significantly these pitches will be smaller than the current ones on the site. They will also be a much less pleasant – and very different – experience for players, will not provide passers by with the enjoyment of watching and it may well be too difficult to use for the schools which currently use the pitches.

While CPRE London strongly supports new housing where appropriate in London, we are extremely concerned that this proposed development would leave the current residents, and the many new residents, with even less open, green space.

“This is our chance to stand up and be heard,” said Eva Guerra, spokesperson for EC1 VOICES , who alerted CPRE London to the campaign. “Les Ferdinand’s involvement is a game-changer. His support brings hope and momentum to our fight.”

CPRE London is now working with residents to lend assistance where we can.  There are numerous issues with the proposed plans and we and a volunteer law student are helping organise what looks set to be a major undertaking.

For example, we are helping with research; organising gathering of evidence; and contacting other organisations which may have their own concerns, to raise awareness and gather support.

If you would like to help click here

You can also

• Follow them on X / Twitter
• Visit the EC1 Voices website
• Contact alice@cprelondon.org.uk or EC1 Voices via their website.