After the hearing at Wakefield Town Hall, Mr Spencer said: “The owners and employees at Back of the Net are delighted that our alcohol licence application has been approved.

“We are really excited to welcome customers into our Cross Bar sports bar throughout the festive season and beyond.

“We have further exciting plans to open a café/restaurant on site, and install a soft play children’s activity centre very early in 2026.

“Our aim is to offer a first-class sporting, leisure and social facility for the Wakefield community that can be enjoyed by all ages.”

Documents previously submitted to the local authority said the bar would have the capacity for 120 customers.

Proposed facilities include a party room for private functions, team presentations and community events.

The scheme also includes fitting CCTV cameras throughout the bar “to support public safety and licensing objectives.”

Mr Thompson said people of all ages had used the centre since it opened in September this year.

He said it was also used as a base for a children’s football coaching organisation.

Mr Thompson continued: “It’s a state of the art bar – absolutely superb premises.

“We are not looking at putting a pub in the area. We are looking at giving something that wasn’t there.

“This is a community facility. We are looking at bringing in kids to play, adults to play.

“We are even looking at setting up walking football, which is taking off across the country and is superb.”

“We are looking at catering for people coming to watch and provide somewhere they can have a social drink. It’s not a major drinking establishment”

Mr Thompson said noise level checks were regularly carried out around the site to prevent disturbance to people living nearby.

For more information and the source, visit: Plan for new Wakefield sports bar approved