Revealed: FA had geese killed at national centre 'to protect its pitches'

Sixty birds shot at England training facility in St George's Park, Staffordshire, despite pledge to enrich local biodiversity

About 60 greylag geese were shot and killed at the national training centre for England football teams from 2018 to 2019 to "preserve safety" because they were defecating on the pitches.

The Football Association said the birds - which it shot after obtaining a licence to kill - also left large amounts of excrement in public areas, and this not only heightened the risk of people slipping over but also raised the possibility of harmful parasites spreading.