A football club that has spent two years transforming wasteland in Oxford into top-of-the range pitches is gearing up to celebrate their opening.

Marston Saints Football Club, whose senior team is based in Boults Lane, Old Marston, have finished converting land in Marsh Lane into junior pitches.

With help from Oxford City Council and Wren — a scheme which distributes revenue from landfill taxes — the club has spent about £65,000 on the work.

Club treasurer Barry Parsons said the investment was for the benefit of the community, as well as the club.

He said: "The ground used to undulate by about two to three feet from one end of the site to the other and even though there was a public footpath that ran through it, it wasn't really usable.

"For the past 15 to 20 years, it has been that way, since the Headley Hawks speedway stopped using it, and it had never been given any TLC.

"It's completely transformed the area and it won't be restricted to just Marston Saints. Part of the criteria for the funding was that it was something the public could use.

"We will have priority use of the site, for when we need to play matches, but the rest of the time, it will be there for the public to enjoy."

The decision to develop the site was taken after the number of junior teams at the club grew. It currently has seven boys' sides and four girls' sides.

The opening of the pitches was supposed to take place last year, but was postponed after water-logging problems.

Money has been spent levelling the ground, installing new drainage, laying turf and building new fencing and gates around the site.

The opening ceremony of the new junior pitches will take place on Saturday, November 1, at 1.30pm. The junior sides will play matches.