A tennis club that dates back to the 1950s is facing extinction after an organisation proposing to replace it with a padel court offered the site owner six times more rent for the site.

Victory Ground Tennis Club currently pays £4,000 per year to rent the land for two courts at a sports ground in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

But landowners of Victory Sports Ground, which was founded 106 years ago, have asked them to increase this following an alleged offer of £25,000 to build four padel courts.

The dispute is a stark reminder of the ‘tennis versus padel’ backlash happening across the UK, as people take up the new sport – leaving facilities for the traditional game under threat.

Critics of the upstart sport, whose fans include Prince William, David Beckham and Stormzy, have attacked the loss of decades-old or cherished tennis facilities, while neighbours of padel courts have complained about its ‘gunshot’ noises and foul-mouthed players.

Padel fans argue theirs is a growing sport and its devoted fan base needs places to play.

Victory Ground Tennis Club spokesman Steve Daniel told the Mail: ‘It’s the loss of a facility as a community sport to be replaced by a money-making venture.’

He added: ‘It would be a crying shame if we ended up in Bury St Edmunds with just one set of tennis courts and obviously multiple padel courts.

Victory Sports Ground, founded 106 years ago, with the tennis club’s two courts shown in the bottom left

‘There’s no guarantee that this padel is still going to be a thing in five or ten years. It’s not like tennis that’s obviously been running for hundreds of years.’

He also argued the padel courts could be accommodated elsewhere in the grounds, which have football and cricket pitches, a sports hall, dance studio, croquet club and pavilion including a bar and kitchen.

The sports ground, which celebrated its centenary in 2020, was provided by a director of Green King Brewery to celebrate his male children who had survived the First World War.

It was sold to St Edmunsbury Borough Council in 1975 and later handed over to a not-for-profit, volunteer-run Community Interest Company, with £2 million raised for its redevelopment in 2013.

Paul Whittaker, a director of Victory Sports Ground CIC who is also chairman of Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club, confirmed there had been an offer from a ‘national organisation’ to invest ‘hundreds of thousands’ in building the padel courts.

But he refused to reveal who the organisation is, stating the CIC is subject to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, even though discussions are informal at the moment.

He also claimed the bid received was not £25,000 but wouldn’t say how much it was.

Mr Whittaker said the facility needed to ensure it had ‘sufficient income coming in’ as it lost money last year, despite an overall income of around £50,000.

This included a grant of £15,000 from West Suffolk Council – although he said ten years ago it had been £40,000.

‘We haven’t set a figure [for the tennis club] and were open with them about the situation and that all the tenants within the Victory Ground would be looked at in terms of their payments because the support we’ve enjoyed from the council for many years is declining,’ he told the Mail.

‘To be honest, tennis was making such a small payment that it was hardly worth looking at the rent they were paying.

‘It’s somewhat disappointing that we had discussions with them earlier this year and said we’d be prepared to give them a long-term lease rather than just annual rent and then they’d be able to get further funding from the Lawn Tennis Association. That’s how it works.

‘We asked them to come up with some thoughts on what they could do financially if granted a long-term lease and they offered to pay an extra £500 [per year] which, to be frank, was pretty ridiculous.

‘They agreed to go away and come back with a proper proposal but we’ve heard diddly squat until this week, when they went beserk.’

Mr Whittaker also claimed there were other tennis facilities available in the town including one on the outskirts with ’13 courts, including some which are indoors’.

But Mr Daniel, whose club has around 180 members including a third who are under-18, added: ‘We’re definitely digging our heels in.

Victory Ground Tennis Club spokesman Steve Daniel told the Mail: ‘It’s the loss of a facility as a community sport to be replaced by a money-making venture’

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‘We are willing to fight this 100 per cent. There’s no backing down from us but, unfortunately, we haven’t got a bottomless pit of money.’

Padel was founded in Mexico in 1969 – compared to 12th century roots for tennis – and is claimed to be the world’s fasted growing sport.

As of last year, there were 893 courts for the racquet sport, which is described as a mix between tennis and squash as it is played in an enclosed area.

Around 400,000 people play in Britain, up from 15,000 in 2019 according to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which has invested more than £6 million in the pastime.

The courts are around a third the size of a tennis court and matches are always played as doubles, not singles.

Supporters argue it is more accessible than tennis as there is more emphasis on tactics than power and speed.

But it has upset fans of tennis – including 24 times Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, who warned his sport is becoming ‘endangered’ by venues converting to padel or pickleball courts.

Neighbours of padel courts have also complained about their lives being ruined by noisy players.

Around 400,000 people play in Britain, up from 15,000 in 2019 according to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), which has invested more than £6 million in the pastime

Paul Whittaker, a director of Victory Sports Ground CIC, confirmed there had been an offer from a ‘national organisation’ to invest ‘hundreds of thousands’ in building the padel courts

Last month, Barnt Green Sports Club in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, lost an appeal against a Noise Abatement Notice issued by the district council after ‘explosive and unpredictable’ noise from padel throughout the day was found to have caused a statutory nuisance.

The club – which said it had taken action including reducing operating hours and erecting signs urging considerate use of the facilities – was ordered to pay the council’s £48,500 legal costs from the appeal heard at Kidderminster Magistrates Court.

Wealthy homeowners living by one club in the cathedral city of Winchester, Hampshire, said they have to put up with loud bangs from padel courts at all hours of the day.

The popularity of padel has ‘boomed’ over the last couple of years, but people living near the courts have said the noise would be classed as ‘antisocial behaviour’ in any other setting.

The residents next to Winchester Racquets and Fitness in Hampshire said the ‘thwack’ of the ball being struck is so loud it is like a gunshot.

They said the noise starts just after breakfast and leaves them cowering inside for the entirety of the day.

Jenni Chilvers, 76, complained that the noise of the ball hitting the bat created a loud ‘cracking’ sound that was similar to ‘gunshots’.

To make matters worse, she also heard ‘foul language’ coming from the courts, with people would be ‘shrieking’ and ‘shouting’ while playing padel.

Elsewhere, residents in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, say that padel courts built without planning consent at a nearby gym has ruing their summer with the constant zinging of balls.

People living near David Lloyd’s Club are up in arms about the racket which they say began when the two outside courts was built in December 2023.

The area on the outskirts of the town includes protected woodland, and is rich in wildlife such as bats, owls and squirrels.

Residents say the noise had been going on all summer, with many residents claiming they are frightened to go in their gardens because of it.

Before then, the club only offered tennis facilities, which the householders insist was not a problem.

Bob Wilkinson, 77, said: ‘We have lived here for years. We have had tennis courts which were a smooth gentle noise. Then suddenly these padel courts were built. The noise is very different.

‘It is a like a rifle shot. It can sometime be three or four minutes continuous. The local authority measured 78 loud strikes in just four minutes. It is just really annoying.’

In August last year, plans for a padel court in Norwich were approved by city councillors despite objectors warning the noise would cause ‘psychological harm’.

Barbara Goodwin, who lives nearby, said: ‘Padel noise is concentrated in one small area on a court surrounded by glass and metal mesh walls, which amplify the sound.’

Plans were announced last year to replace tennis courts built at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in north-east London for the 2012 Olympics being replaced with padel courts.

They were shelved following a backlash that included a petition signed by more than 2,000 people.

An LTA spokesman said: ‘As the national governing body for both tennis and padel, the LTA wants to see the two sports sit by side-by-side, rather than one developing to the detriment of the other. 

‘While we are supportive of venues that wish to integrate new padel facilities alongside their existing operations to evolve their offering, we do not support the straight replacement of tennis courts for padel courts, particularly in cases such as Victory Ground where tennis participation is strong. 

‘We hope a solution can be identified which can retain the existing tennis courts on the site whilst allowing for the development of new padel facilities for the local community.’

Jude Bellingham has broken his silence after England‘s heartbreaking World Cup exit at the hands of Argentina in poignant fashion, with the midfield star sharing a touching poem titled ‘The Lions Way’. 

The Real Madrid man was one of the standout players for the Three Lions in North America and he took defeat in the semi-finals in Atlanta every bit as hard as his team-mates. 

Bellingham was seen in tears surrounded by friends and family in the stands after the final whistle. 

The 23-year-old admitted that putting his feelings into words had been a challenge, but used the poem shared with the group by their driver in Kansas City to express himself. 

‘Was really struggling to find the right words for yesterday and the last few weeks but this pretty much hits the nail on the head from our driver in Kansas,’ he wrote on social media. ‘Thank you for the unbelievable support from back home and to those who spent their hard earned money to travel to America and get behind us. 

‘Don’t let the unity and love we’ve seen in our country end with this campaign. When we’re together we can achieve big things… And we will! Love yous! (red heart, England flag emojis).’ 

A picture of the poem was attached, with the first verse beginning: ‘The Lion does not boast aloud, Nor chase the praise of every crowd. He knows the roar that shakes the night, Is born when fear is met with might. 

The Three Lions star shared a touching poem titled ‘The Lions Way’ stressing the values of spirit and conduct beyond the final whistle

‘The match is not with foe alone, The truest pitch is self unknown. Before one pass is struck with grace, The heart must first have won its race. 

‘For strength is more than driving speed, Or planting firmly every cleat. It lives within the iron will, To climb again the steeper hill. 

‘The body tires. The lungs grow tight. The legs grow heavy in the fight. Yet steadfast minds refuse retreat, They drag the weary to their feet. 

‘Endurance is a faithful friend, It walks beside you to the end. While others yield to pain’s command, It whispers low, “Hold your stand”.

‘The clever mind outplays the strong, Who rush with fury all day long. A patient pass, a measured pace, Will forever conquer reckless haste. 

‘The hawk may see the pitch above, The lion wins through steadfast love/ Of every movement, every run/ Where many minds become but one. 

‘For tactics are not tricks concealed, But wisdom sharpened on the field. To know when pressing serves the day/ And when restraint becomes the way.

‘The storm may rage. The crowd may cry/ The score may yet refuse the sky. Yet none of these command the soul/ Whose purpose governs every goal. 

‘No referee can steal your choice, No hostile song can drown your voice. The world may shake, the night may burn/ Your answer shapes the final turn. 

‘England wore Three Lions bright, Not chasing glory’s fleeting light. They sought instead a nobler prize, To master self before men’s eyes. 

‘They trusted feet that years had trained/ They trusted minds that calm had gained/ They trusted hearts that would not bend/ Though every minute neared the end. 

‘One perfect move/ One selfless pass/ One moment born from countless tasks. 

‘The net gave way/ The crowd arose/ The thunder rolled through friend and foe. 

‘The victory belongs to those/ Who rule themselves before the blows/ And therefore earned a greater name/ Than those who merely played the game. 

‘The whistle blew/ The contest done/ Three Lions work had been won.

‘Victory now was the score/ Lifting gold evermore/ But greatest triumph, clear to see/ Was quiet self mastery. 

‘For trophies tarnish/ And crowds grow still/ Time itself outlasts all skill.

‘But those who govern both heart and mind/ Leave fear and doubt far behind/ So walk the Lion’s ancient road/ Carry calmly every load/ Meet each trial firm and true/ Let discipline be the strength in you. 

‘For fortune favours not the loud, Nor always crowns the largest crowd/ She often walks beside the one/ Whose hardest battle has been won. Not on the pitch beneath the lights/ But deep within through sleepless nights. 

‘And when the final whistle sings/ And victory lifts its golden wings/ The truest roar will still be heard/ A soul made strong, A soul assured.’ 

The poem was signed by the author – driver Michael Chandler – and dated for July 15, the day of England’s meeting with Argentina.   

The poem was written by the squad’s driver in Kansas City Michael Chandler the day of the tie

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Bellingham cut a heartbroken figure at full-time as England were knocked out of the World Cup

The post was commented on by a number of his England team-mates, with Reece James, Anthony Gordon, and Jordan Henderson among those to simply share red heart emojis underneath it. 

Just a few hours earlier, Harry Kane had shared a similar message to his fans, describing the loss in Atlanta as ‘hard to take’, while insisting his team would ‘go again’. 

‘We were close, really close to another final but it wasn’t enough,’ he said. ‘We’ve given everything over these last seven weeks and to fall short is hard to take! 

‘I know the expectations are high and rightly so, we’ve been knocking on the door for eight years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw!’ 

Kane added his pride at the group of players for the fight they had displayed throughout the tournament, and Bellingham was among those who had battled the hardest, helping England get over the line in style against Norway with his match-winning brace. 

Bellingham struggled against Argentina however as the repeated target of first-half challenges from his opponents’ attritional play. 

At full-time, he was pushed to breaking point by unused substitute Valentin Barco, with Bellingham smacking the young Strasbourg player’s head from behind, and sparking a brief melee involving players from both sides.

It remains unclear what triggered the reaction from the Real Madrid midfielder, though footage has circulated showing Barco running onto the pitch after Enzo Fernandez’s 85th-minute equaliser and celebrating in front of the England players rather than joining his team-mates by the corner flag.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, described Barco’s actions as ‘probably the worst example of sportsmanship we’ve seen at this World Cup’.

Barco was also seen appearing to mouth something to Bellingham before the pair physically interacted. 

As for his post-match assessment, Bellingham said: ‘I think we can take a lot from the experience, but it’s so gutting.

‘I wanted to be a part of an England squad that had finally done it, finally got it over the line. And to be here telling the fans unfortunately the same things that they’ve probably heard for years and years, it’s really gutting.

‘I wish I could say more. I wish I could give one more win or two more wins. But at the moment I’m kind of – my head’s a bit fuzzy with disappointment.’

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Queen Camilla and King Charles have been married for almost two decades, but haven’t always seen eye to eye on everything – particularly when it comes to her new royal title, according to an insider

Queen Camilla delivered a brutal three-word response to King Charles regarding her new title she received when he ascended the throne, a royal insider claims.

Charles and Camilla, who turns 79 today (Friday, July 17) have been married for more than two decades. Like most married couples, however, they don’t see eye to eye on everything. One such occasion was reportedly when he was preparing to ascend to the throne and his wife disagreed with her new title.

Camilla was far from pleased about the alteration to her royal title, with the couple holding differing views on the subject, according to The Times’s Tom Quinn.

He writes: “One member of staff told me that at one point, Camilla hated the idea of being queen and would regularly say to Charles, ‘Can’t we get away from all this protocol? It’s all b******s.’”

The Buckingham Palace source reveals that His Majesty, who is renowned for disliking profanity, would courteously respond: “You’re doing it [becoming queen] for me, darling.”

She received a gift she was far happier with for her birthday last year, however. Charles gave Camilla a clingfilm holder, which was presented by a submarine commander whose crew once used the everyday household item to keep a nuclear vessel operational.

The present came with a small plaque bearing the inscription: “Clingfilm keeping nuclear submarines at sea.”

Camilla later said: “There’s nothing more useful, brilliant how wonderful.”

Despite her aristocratic upbringing, Camilla is recognised for her irreverently cheeky sense of humour. Royal biographer Penny Junor told Vanity Fair: “She always has a twinkle in her eye and is a terrible giggler, often reducing Charles to fits of giggles too,” reports Cambridgeshire Live.

She had no significant aspirations to travel or pursue a high-powered career, the expert wrote in her biography of the then duchess: “She wanted no more from life than to be happily married to an upper-class man and live a sociable life in the country with horses, dogs, children, and someone to look after them all and do the hard graft.”

The profound connection with Charles, Junor notes, stemmed from Camilla’s unwillingness to be overly formal: “She treated him like a normal person, as she had when they were together, and if ever he behaved badly, or was selfish or thoughtless, she wasn’t afraid to tell him so. She was a proper friend.”

Charles was instantly captivated by the aristocratic horsewoman he encountered at a polo match, Junor writes in The Duchess: The Untold Story: “He loved the fact that she smiled with her eyes as well as her mouth, and laughed at the same silly things as he did.

“He also liked that she was so natural and easy and friendly, not in any way overawed by him, not fawning or sycophantic. In short, he was very taken with her, and after that first meeting he began ringing her up.”

By contrast, Prince Harry and Prince William took considerable time to warm to their stepmother, calling her by various unkind nicknames. Nevertheless, Kate Middleton enjoys reminding her husband that Queen Camilla is a descendant of Alice Keppel, who was the favourite mistress of King Edward VII – whom William increasingly resembles.

Cambridgeshire Live contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

A stand-out moment for Dominic Watters, as he took part in a national food inquiry, was eating a plate of scrambled eggs at Yolk Farm near York.

“Not only was it the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had in my life,” Dominic says, “it’s a stark difference to the food available where I live. The only hot food available on my estate in Kent is breaded, processed, imported chicken that’s not even cooked on site but just kept warm. There’s not even a KFC or a Tescos. I live in a place where you can buy blueberry vapes and blueberry energy drinks, but you can’t get a packet of blueberries. It’s a food desert in the garden of England.”

Loading up the “Queen of Greens” mobile greengrocer bus at Kindling Farm, just outside Knowsley, on Merseyside, Lucy Antal is also talking about food deserts – defined as places where people have to walk 1k or more than 15 mins to be able to buy any fresh food.

“When you’re living in a space where it’s easier to buy a vape than an apple, that makes it very difficult for people to follow public health advice,” she says, as she loads trays of freshly-picked cucumber. “Yet people are always being told ‘you need to eat more healthily…you need more fresh food’.”

Queen of Greens is just one of the projects visited by a Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) that has been working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to help shape The Good Food Cycle – a strategy for the food sector that works for farmers, food businesses and the people who eat it.

Dominic is one of the members of the CAC, who have met more than 80 people across the country with different connections to food. The result is an ambitious new report, ‘From the Ground Up’ which calls for a new approach to food – that helps create fairer, more equal country.

It is backed by new polling released today by More In Common – which shows huge public support for action on food across parties and across postcodes. At a moment when risks to food systems are highly visible – from the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, to the current heatwave – the polling, commissioned by The Food Foundation (FF) and the Food Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), reveals a striking consensus.

Less than one in ten people (7%) think the food system works well and should be left as it is. More than two in three (69%) say the government should do more to make sure food is healthy – including 88% of Green voters, 80% of Labour voters, and 59% of Reform voters. Two in three (65%) say the government should ensure people are able to eat healthy foods. Meanwhile, nine in ten (90%) say farmers deserve a fair price.

Sue Pritchard, Chief Executive, FFCC says: “Having enough good, healthy food, sustainably produced by UK farmers, is important to people across the political spectrum – a quite remarkable consensus. Yet 9 in 10 of them think the food economy is not working for them, right now. For a new PM, intent on making a real difference in peoples’ everyday lives, this is a clear steer towards the kinds of policies that people want to see delivered.”

Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy, The Food Foundation says: “Across the country, and across parties, it is clear that the public wants government to take decisive steps to ensure everyone can access healthy, affordable and local food. All eyes are on the next Prime Minister to step up to ensure this happens.”

Maria Chukwu-Nsofor, 48, is on the CAC with Dominic. Also from Kent, she is a full-time carer for her son Adebambo, 19, who is autistic and attended the Cornwall ‘What Works Here?” inquiry with her. “I got involved after responding to an advert in the paper,” she says. “It’s been enlightening and empowering for me as a member of the general public.

“I am a carer to my son, and I wanted to be a voice for the SEN community. When Adebambo goes to a shop he can manage the shopping list, but he can’t think about healthy choices as well. I just want him to be able to choose something healthy and be okay, and it all starts from that.” Maria and Adebambo enjoyed visiting the Kellehand Trust in Camborne, where people with disabilities are growing and serving food. “Food brings people together, just like music and like football is doing at the moment,” Maria says. “It’s not just about survival.”

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Back on Merseyside, at the Children and Family Centre in Everton, a steady stream of customers is waiting for Queen of Greens, which serves around 400 families a week. “We all love the strawberries, but because the prices are lower here I can get new things for my family to try too,” says mum-of-three Asma Omer. “There is nowhere like this near my house.”

Dorcas Udugbai, 41, a full-time mum who lives down the road, says: “Every week I come for apples, strawberries, bananas…everything is so good and so cheap.” Mum Sara Sabine, 39, agrees. “You can taste the difference,” she says. “When you have kids it all goes fast – but it’s helping them make healthy choices.”

Driver Aaron Rossiter, 53, from Anfield, says he enjoys seeing familiar faces. “We have one lady who buys 21 satsumas a week,” he says. “It’s great for older people – they might just want to get two carrots and a spud, and that’s fine with us.”

When the bus calls at a women’s refugee project at St James in the City, many of the women have Healthy Boost vouchers – a city-wide public health scheme. Among them is pregnant mum Giftie Epine, 36. She found the project online after struggling to find fresh food – taking two buses and walking half an hour each way, to trek to a market.

“I asked Chat GPT where I could get fresh food locally,” she says. “I’ll definitely be back.” Ahead of her in the queue is Augustina, 33, and her 18-month-old daughter. “In other places the food goes bad very easily,” she says.

What’s striking about CAC’s report is that it highlights the ways our food system is currently failing everyone apart from the Big Food multinationals – from single dads to food retail workers, farmers to doctors seeing patients struggling with health problems caused by a lack of access to healthy food. But it also highlights the amazing projects across the country that are tackling these problems with imagination and flair.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan says that CAC’s “vital work shines a light on the values we want to see in our food system that are already alive in communities across England, from farmer cooperatives to city-wide food alliances.”

Back on his estate in Kent, Dominic is reflecting on what he has learned. “I raised my child on free school meals,” he says. “I know what it’s like to not always have access to food, electric, internet. Sometimes I would be able to feed her but not myself. Sometimes the electric wasn’t on.

“There is a 12 year difference in life expectancy between people who live on our estate and people just over the road. We need to reflect that unevenness in the country, and build a food system that works for everyone.”