Council-owned all weather football pitches are set to reopen next week but the Bebington Oval isn't one of them.

5, 7 and 11-a-side facilities at Leasowe Leisure Centre, Guinea Gap Leisure Centre and Wirral Tennis and Sports Centre (Bidston) will ‘get the ball rolling’ again from Monday, August 24.

Teams are now able to book small-sided pitches online for both adults and juniors straight away, followed by block bookings from Tuesday September 1. Prices will start from £27.50 for adults and £16.60 for juniors.

Players wanting to book a pitch for a small-sided game need to be a registered user and must pre-book and pay online before arrival. Players can become registered users by signing up on the Wirral Leisure website.

11-a-side bookings at Wirral Tennis and Sports Centre (Bidston) and Leasowe Leisure Centre’s brand new, state-of-the-art 4G football pitch can be made by calling 0151 606 2010.

But pitches at the Oval Leisure Centre remain closed until further notice as the site is still being used as a Covid-19 testing centre by the NHS.

Strict Covid-19 guidelines have been put in place and must be read in full by all players before arriving to play. Clear Covid-19 signage will also be in place at each site.

The person making a booking on behalf of a team or group of players must take responsibility for knowing who is playing and how to contact them to allow effective track and tracing.

Cllr Julie McManus, Wirral’s Cabinet Member for Community Services said: “I’m sure this will come as welcome news to so many people in Wirral who have missed playing football in all weathers.

“Our outdoor artificial pitches cater for players of all ages and are a great place to not only get fit but spend time with friends – safely of course!

“I am also really pleased to finally allow teams to enjoy our brand-new artificial pitch at Leasowe Leisure Centre. It has been a long time coming and I can’t wait to see teams enjoying the new facilities.”

To book a small-sided artificial pitch, visit wirralleisure.co.uk/footballpitches