THE son of one of Middlesbrough's sporting legends is backing a campaign to stop a club being demolished to make way for housing.

Peter Hatfield told a packed public meeting that his late father Jack, an Olympic swimming champion, had donated the land on which Middlesbrough Co-op Sports and Social Club stands, to the people of the town, in the 1920s.

He said a covenant laid down by his father decreed that the land could not be used for anything other than recreation.

The club, on the corner of Acklam Road and Green Lane, is to close on February 10 because the full members, who own it, claim to have sold the five-acre site to Wimpey for housing.

On Wednesday night more than 350 associate members and residents who oppose the closure, attended the meeting, in Acklam Grange School Hall.

Mr Hatfield, 64, said he and his three brothers would do all they could to help fight the development of 32 houses.

"We used to go past there during the war on our bicycles and my father used to say 'They'll never ever build on that land'.

"I'm here to try to see that the wishes of my father will be carried out."

Middlesbrough Council leader Ken Walker also backed the campaign, promising to root out the "faceless individuals" intent on selling the club.

"I do strongly object to any suggestions that the land should be taken up for the purposes of any building whatsoever."

He said the number of green spaces in Middlesbrough was severely limited and he would ask the council's legal team to investigate both the validity of the covenant and ways of preventing the club building from being demolished.

"The very real fear is that if the club is closed, this piece of land will fall into disuse."

It was agreed unanimously to launch a letter-writing campaign to Wimpey urging the developers to withdraw from the project. Wimpey and full club members will also be asked to attend another public meeting at Acklam Grange School next Wednesday.

Several associate members suggested staging a sit-in at the club on February 10 to prevent club owners boarding up the premises.

Wimpey refused to comment yesterday.