A WINCHESTER girls and ladies football club has denied being to blame for the parking chaos on a city estate.

The Winchester City Flyers staged a celebration event to mark their move to the King George V playing field at Bar End.

But local residents have complained about the parking invasion from the weekend on September 8-9, attended by Saints legend Mick Channon.

Allan Higgs, chairman of the 300-member club, said there were other causes of the problems and it is unfair to solely blame the club for the “fiasco”.

He cited a university event at the nearby athletics stadium and the precautions taken because of the arrival of a group of travellers in the city.

Mr Higgs said: “As new kids on the block we always knew that any increase in traffic or parking issues would be laid at our door by the residents which is why we have worked very hard with the city council to limit issues as much as possible.

“On the weekend of the 8th and 9th we did indeed hold our annual girls football tournament which over the two days saw 88 teams attend and 1,079 girls playing football.

“Such volumes meant we had to be aware of parking and so we had stewards manning both the main entrance gate and also the inner gate on both days. We wrote to all 88 clubs advising the that there would be no parking at KGV on either day (save for the allowed managers, up to 20 cars in number) and they should all use the Barfield Close Park and Ride.

“As Susan Croker (city council head of landscapes) mentioned at the town forum, the Saturday was policed well and no issues that we were aware of, indeed all of the players and parents abided by our requests very well.

“It is however a little disingenuous to say Sunday was not so good without quantifying why.

“On the Sunday, as well as our tournament at KGV the University Sports Ground hosted an athletics event, a hockey event and boys youth football at the Garrison Ground all on the Sunday morning.

“This is not unusual but the main difference this time was the fact that the university, under instruction from the city council, had locked all of their access gates due to the traveller influx to Winchester and for security reasons and with no stewarding.

“It seems most parents use the University Entrance as a drop-off and pick-up point for their children and because the gates were locked, proceeded to park anywhere they could.

“Having a spell on the KGV gate as steward I saw this with my own eyes as well as turning half a dozen or more people away who wanted to use the KGV as a pick-up point or park so they could collect their children. Literally every car I saw leave the residents’ parking bays was filled with children with hockey stocks or in running gear.

“It’s not to say we were perfect over the two days, as with all things you do occasionally get the odd parent who spoils things for everyone but on the whole I think it is very unfair for us to be blamed for the whole fiasco.”

The city council says it is aware that the increased use of the KGV field will impact on the local residential roads. It is speaking to local people about extending the residents-only parking.