A nomadic Salford grassroots football club is set to be given a permanent home after months of campaigning led to major investment.
£1 million in funding has been won to build an all-weather football pitch at Harriet Street Playing Fields for North Walkden FC.
The investment comes after the club raised concerns about the rising cost of hiring pitches across Greater Manchester, as there are no floodlit all-weather pitches in Walkden and Little Hulton.
North Walkden FC run more than 20 teams and supports over 400 players, including girls and women’s teams, but have often been forced to train and play outside Salford, where some facilities lack basic changing rooms.
Players at North Walkden FC currently train across several venues because local grass pitches are often unplayable during the winter months. The club have faced significant annual hire costs while also dealing with poor pitch quality at Amblecote and Wharton Playing Fields.
The Harriet Street site has been unavailable for several years due to construction work linked to the nearby Hill Top housing development. But with new planning permission now submitted to restore the playing fields an end to the club’s pitch uncertainty is in sight.
Jack Youd, Councillor for Walkden North and Deputy City Mayor of Salford, backed the campaign and was delighted that funding had been awarded to construct the pitch.
He said: “This has been a real community campaign. Hundreds of residents signed the petition because they want better opportunities for young people to play sports locally.
“For too long, Walkden has been one of the largest areas in Salford without a proper all-weather football pitch. That means local teams have been forced to travel across Greater Manchester just to train.
“This investment will finally give Walkden the facilities it deserves and provide a permanent home for hundreds of local players.
“I believe we could be watching the first game on the new pitch by this time next year.
“The campaign also highlights the importance of proper facilities for women’s and girls’ football, with changing rooms needed to support growing participation.”
Since August 2025, more than 650 residents have signed a petition supporting the project, alongside letters of backing from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Baroness Barbara Keeley and Yasmin Qureshi MP.
Walkden Cricket Club recently completed £1 million in improvements following the Hill Top development and has formally backed the project, saying the shared site could create a year-round multi-sport hub for the community.
And their efforts campaigning have paid off, now a new facility that will bring football activity back to Harriet Street and provide a modern home for grassroots sport in Walkden is in the pipeline.
Coun Youd added: “This is about more than football. It is about health, community pride and giving young people somewhere positive to spend their time.
“Walkden Cricket Club and North Walkden FC working together will create a real sports hub for the town.”
