AS Warrington Wolves surveyed a soggy playing surface at The Halliwell Jones Stadium last week, they must have feared the flak that was about to come their way.

Two days after Liverpool Reserves' match against Wigan had been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, the tough decision had to be made.

Wolves' friendly against Salford could not be played in Warrington as scheduled and had to be switched to The Willows.

The reaction among many was inevitable. It was all Liverpool's fault.

The pitch at The Halliwell Jones was fine before they arrived and now it was unable to fulfil its rugby league commitments - an obvious, if simplistic, argument to make.

Such a clash between the football and rugby league factions within the town had been on the cards since the day Wolves signed a deal to allow Liverpool's second string to play their matches at The Halliwell Jones.

Those who have no interest in football or support Manchester United - some might cheekily suggest the two are the same thing - were looking for an opportunity to demand that Liverpool be kicked out of town.

Wolves, in their wisdom, are standing firm. They are in talks to extend Liverpool's stay at the stadium and there is nothing to suggest those talks will not reach a successful conclusion.

The pitch may not be at its finest at the moment and it is probably fair to suggest Liverpool's presence may have had some effect.

Football pitches need shorter grass than rugby league pitches and growing grass longer is not easy at this time of year, so it is possible that a combination of rugby league friendlies played on short grass and the wet weather have conspired to affect the pitch.

The major problem is unlikely to be during the summer rugby league season but if the pitch has not recovered in time for the next football season, when a tricky playing surface would not suit Liverpool's silky second string.

But ditching Liverpool because of one postponed rugby league match would be a big mistake.

Signs may as well be put up around the town perimeter saying 'football not wanted here'.

Rugby league largely rules in Warrington but a significant proportion of the town follow football, too.

There is great potential for the growth of the sport within the town but that will only be realised if it is played at The Halliwell Jones.

The youth audience is the key and that is where such a modern stadium succeeds while other facilities in the town simply cannot.

Liverpool are currently attracting comfortably the biggest crowds in the country for reserve matches, averaging at more than 3,000.

Warrington also had some of the largest attendances at the Women's European Championships in 2005, peaking at 5,772.

A large proportion of all those crowds were children.

If four-figure attendances can be sustained for years to come at The Halliwell Jones, youngsters will grow up watching football in Warrington.

To put it simply, this is the biggest opportunity for the growth of football in the town for years.

Throwing that away would be madness.