A Chessington football team has upped sticks and moved to a ground in Wimbledon after complaining of poor facilities at their home ground.

Cricketers FC played at the King Edwards recreation ground in Hook Road until the end of this season despite mess on the pitch and badly-maintained changing rooms.

A league chairman also said Kingston was among the worst councils for maintaining pitches.

Centre-forward Bill Howe, 21, said the team had played at King Edwards for three seasons.

He said: “The showers broke during that first season and we were told they would be fixed. The showers were just never fixed.

“We have played all season without any showers. There was no heating or light in the changing rooms.

“When nothing was being done we didn’t pay. We used the field anyway and didn’t use the changing rooms.

“We were putting our own nets and flags up and clearing litter off the pitch before every game.

“What were we paying the council for?”

Conservative Chessington councillor Andrew Day said: “I think it is terrible that things have got to this stage.

“A community team had to leave the borough, which is a disgrace.

“There are so many good football clubs and we need sport in the south of the borough.”

A spokesman for Kingston Council said the club was offered a 20 percent discount for use of the pitch in 2012/13, and that it was in arrears from the last two seasons.

It said £5,000 was spent on repairing the roof and showers of the 1930s pavilion.

Council procedures for cash allocation meant work was delayed until March this year.

A waiting list exists for use of the King Edwards facilities, a spokesman said.

Kingston and District Football League chairman Mike Hallett said: “So many things have been cut back in terms of availability of pitches, in terms of who looks after them.

“I think you will find Kingston is one of the worse boroughs locally for this.

“[Councils] would rather not have football at all, is the feeling we get.”

Clubs organisers often do not have time to pursue complaints, he added.