Footballers have been banned from their home ground to make way for cricketers.

There are four senior pitches at Nevill Recreation Ground in Hove and one for juniors as well as a cricket pitch.

But while the youngsters have been told by Brighton and Hove City Council they can stay put, the adults must find a new home.

The idea is to stop the cricket pitch being churned up by football players and give the grass more time to recover.

Ernie Coleman, fixtures secretary of the Brighton, Hove and District Football League, said the league had been given just nine days' notice and blamed the change on a council scrutiny panel into the future of sports pitches.

Mr Coleman said: "Our league and the Sussex Sunday Football League are halfway through the football season.

"This closure will mean ten teams being without a home pitch for the rest of this season and possibly some of them being removed from this season's football programme."

He said the cost of making the changes, which included altering a computer system and fixture lists, would be at least £2,500.

Tory councillor Geoff Wells said: "The loss of these pitches could have serious repercussions."

Labour councillor Les Hamilton, who chaired the scrutiny panel, said: "It is my understanding the council claims there are sufficient senior pitches to meet current demand and it is holding a meeting with the leagues on Tuesday.

"It has always been my understanding that senior football would remain at Nevill Recreation Ground until there was sufficient capacity elsewhere.

"Clearly, the relevant officers consider this is now the case."

A city council spokeswoman said: "Due to increasing problems with reinstating the ground after winter sport, especially rugby and football, over the past few winters we have decided to remove these senior football pitches from use at Nevill Recreation Ground.

"The council will assist the home sides based at these grounds in finding venues elsewhere in the city.

"Nevill Recreation Ground is shared with Brighton and Hove Cricket Club and it has been increasingly difficult to render the pitch in a fit state for playing in the summer.

"Although senior football will no longer be provided for, it is intended to improve cricket facilities greatly on this site. To that end the club is hoping to secure funding from the English Cricket Board."