DEVON County Football Association has won its battle to sell alcohol at its clubhouse in Coach Road, Newton Abbot.

Sixty-eight residents of the quiet suburban area round Wolborough Hill argued it should be rejected on noise grounds, as the geography of the area turned the clubhouse into a natural amphitheatre.

They claimed that when the clubhouse was owned by Newton Abbot Football Club, people urinated in their gardens and they suffered drunkenness, fighting and vandalism which stopped when the club folded last year.

Residents feared the clubhouse could be hired out for functions and there would be disturbance caused by live and recorded music being played until 11.30pm.

Objectors won a partial victory, with the association agreeing to withdraw its application for off-sales, after residents voiced fears that it could encourage under-age drinking in Decoy Park.

Granting the licence, Teignbridge Councils licensing sub-committee said it did not think it would cause unreasonable disturbance to local residents.

Chairman Cllr Alex Cross said they had given weight to the fact that no objections had been received from the police or Environmental Health Department.

Around 30 residents lined the council chamber on Tuesday for the two-hour hearing.

Cllr Marie Jenkins asked for the application to be rejected, saying that residents had put up with a lot of anti-social behaviour when the clubhouse was run by Newton Abbot Football Club.

She said that the trouble often took place in the dimly-lit grounds. The basic construction of the building made it hard to suppress noise even with doors and windows closed. Smokers exiled to the terrace would also be noisy.

Paul Evemy, whose house is only 40m away, said the fact that the police and council had received no complaints when Newton Abbot Football Club was in charge did not mean it was trouble-free. Residents had dealt directly with the club management, mindful that the club was struggling financially.

Paul Morrison, chief executive of Devon County Football Association, tried to reassure residents saying he did not intend to open seven days a week. The primary focus would be on staging football games and that he hoped to encourage day-time activities such as quiz leagues, bingo, pool and skittles teams to raise extra revenue.

He said that he had no intention to hire the venue out for 18th or 21st birthday parties but that he needed the flexibility of an entertainment licence.

Since taking over in February, 28 football matches had been held at Coach Road with no complaint, including a match against Torquay United which drew upwards of 1,500 spectators.

He said that staff were trained in child welfare and listed measures he would take to minimise nuisance, including installing four CCTV cameras, air conditioning and stopping outside drinking at 10pm.

After the hearing he offered to accept a condition of plastic glasses only outside and to drop the request for off-sales, both of which were accepted.