League 1 side forced to move games to Championship ground

League 1 side Goole Vikings have been forced to move two of their home games to Championship side Featherstone Rovers.

The Vikings have been playing on the road during the early part of the summer, with work being done to renovate their Victoria Pleasure Grounds home stadium.

They were due to return there later this month against Whitehaven but have now conceded the stadium will not be ready in time. The game against Keighley Cougars has also been moved.

Both games will now take place in West Yorkshire at Featherstone Rovers’ Millennium Stadium instead.

Goole insist the matter is out of their control and they were only told by the local Council on Thursday, forcing them into a late rethink and leaving them with no option but to take two big home clashes elsewhere.

They said in a statement: “The disappointing decision follows correspondence received on Thursday from Goole Town Council, who informed the club at very short notice that the Victoria Pleasure Grounds will not be available as planned, due to ongoing pitch works running over schedule.

“The late notification of this delay is extremely disappointing and frustrating for all concerned, particularly as the club was informed as recently as last week that works were on track for completion. The rescheduling of these fixtures will unfortunately lead to significant additional costs and disruption for the club.

“However, we recognise that that unforeseen issues can arise and we remain fully committed to the long-term vision for the VPG and the club, and we and are confident it will become a fantastic venue for the town and the wider community.

“In the meantime, we can confirm that both matches will now take place at the nearby Millennium Stadium in Featherstone – the very ground where the Vikings played their first fixture since turning professional earlier this year.”