FORMER Cherries star Sam Vokes has added his weight to a campaign to prevent his field of dreams being reclaimed for ponies to graze.

Lymington-raised Vokes honed his skills on the Memorial Field in Pitmore Lane in Sway before joining Cherries as a schoolboy.

The 22-year-old, together with ex-Cherries team-mate Josh McQuoid, was a member of Sway Juniors’ all-conquering youth side during the late 1990s.

Vokes, who now plays for Premier League Wolverhampton, also went on to star on the international stage with Wales after leaving Cherries in 2008.

Currently on loan to Championship outfit Brighton, Vokes has given his support to Sway Juniors in their battle to save the club’s New Forest breeding ground.

The field was given to the young men of the village in honour of the sacrifices made during the First World War and has been used by generations of footballers and cricketers since it was first handed over to the community.

The parish council has leased the site from the Forestry Commission in an agreement dating back to the 1950s and both parties are happy for the current arrangement to continue.

However, the verderers have opposed the renewal of the lease, which expires next year, insisting the land should be reclaimed for grazing.

In a letter to the parish council, the verderers said the village already had good alternative facilities at Jubilee Fields.

Vokes, whose family home is in Pennington, told the New Milton Advertiser: “It is a great shame that Pitmore Lane is being taken away from Sway Football Club and the young lads who play there.

“I grew up playing football for Sway at Pitmore Lane and have some great memories of playing there for a good club.

“I think it is a shame that some of the young talent of the area will miss out on that opportunity.”

As far back as 1994, the Commoners’ Defence Association had asked the verderers to press for the field to be returned to open forest once the current lease had run out.

The verderers’ letter to the parish council said: “Over the years, there have been a lot of problems with rubbish and debris on the field and, in addition, the fence has not been properly maintained which meant it was often considered to be a hazard to stock.”

Alex Vaughan, chairman of Sway Juniors, told the New Milton Advertiser: “We are extremely disappointed that the verderers have taken this view. I know we have lovely facilities at Jubilee Fields but there just isn’t space there to run all the junior teams.”