Shrewsbury Town’s vice chairman claims the borough council has a “vendetta” against the football club after it refused to defer the building of community facilities at the New Meadow.

Keith Sayfritz said the club was now taking legal advice after councillors threw out the request to extend its August deadline to build the pitches at its new ground in Oteley Road.

On Shrewsbury Town’s official website, he said: “To use a football term we are absolutely gutted, we cannot understand why the request for deferment wasn’t agreed to.

“Now the councillors have placed us in an impossible position and we feel that, despite people saying that they support the club and what it does for the town, that they really have no interest in the football club.

“I think at times some of our fans and ourselves actually believe that there is some sort of vendetta against the football club.

“We are very, very disappointed and we will obviously be taking legal advice as to our next move.”

Mr Sayfritz said the club wanted the council to defer a decision on the community pitches until the new year, by when a survey on the town’s leisure requirements would be complete.

Councillor Claire Wild, a member of the development control committee, said the council did not have a vendetta against Shrewsbury Town Football Club.

She said the club would have to enter a new application when the results of the community facilities needs analysis were released in January.