Real-life The Archers vs the football louts: Idyllic village is divided as ... trends now

Families in the village that inspired The Archers have defended the expansion of a football club, arguing that 'it brings more people together'.

A group of locals in the idyllic village of Inkberrow, Worcestershire - where house prices average £500,000 - have hit back after fellow residents claimed non-league Inkberrow FC's 'loutish' fans were ruining the 'tranquillity'.

Critics of the plans to expand the club said they were fed up with noisy players and fans from the sports team and that the peace of the village - which inspired Radio 4's The Archers - has been 'completely shattered' by match day shouting and cheering. 

The team runs around 30 sides from the under-7s to an over-50s squad with many training and playing on Saturday and Sunday mornings at its Sands Pavilion ground.

To accommodate the hundreds of players and fans, the club applied to Wychavon District Council for planning permission to build two new stands.

Now families in the village have hit back at NIMBYs opposing the plans and said the club 'brings more joy to children'.

Anthony Mason, 83, said he supports the expansion, adding that football helps keep children out of trouble.

He said: 'The football pitches are at the back of our garden. They get a bit rowdy but it's football, what do you expect?

'They cover a wide range. There's walking football.  

'A lot of them are my friends. It's good for the community, it's excellent.

'Lots of youngsters go on a Saturday, we see them with their footballs and all dressed in their kit.

'You've got to think of the younger generation. We did have a bit of vandalism in the village and it was just youngsters who had nothing else to do.

'They leave it to the younger generation to run it. It's a lovely place. There's something for every age.'

Local Gloria Dale said she was in favour of more grandstands, sympathising with parents standing out in the cold.

She said: 'As far as I'm concerned sports is good for the village. It brings more people together. 

'Some people just moan about anything in the village because it hasn't happened before.

'There's more children here than ever before. Anything to do with sports and to get children playing is good with me.

'I only live around the corner. As far as I'm concerned, we should have it. 

'What is the problem? If they were building a nightclub we'd object. But they're not. They're bringing more joy to the children.

'The more things they can do on there, it's good. More parents can come in and be under a shelter instead of standing in the cold.

'I'd have loved to stand in a grandstand. I stood for years in the cold, wet and the rain.'

Local mother Natalie said: 'It's great for the community, it keeps the children busy. I know a lot of mums feel the same way as I do.'

Another mother who lives on Sands Road said: 'The majority of people along this road are objecting to it but not a lot of them have anything to do with football as they are that bit older. 

'It's going to benefit all the children. Every year group, from reception upwards, including girls and boys, has at least one team.

'It is busy at the weekends but the club does what it can to minimise it. They have martials up the roads to stop the parking.

'I've heard people can hear shouting and swearing but I don't hear that here.'

Another local said: 'Because most matches are played on Saturday, it's fairly quiet in the week.

'If you move to the back of the garden you can't hear any of the noise anyway.

'The only bad thing is the flood lights which I call Martians as they look like something out of War of the Worlds when they're on.

'It keeps [children] busy, they don't play in the streets much at all.

'It's good for all of us.'

But one woman said that she often sees men urinating through the hedge along the road.