WEST Footscray Football Club is livid after being told it will be evicted from Shorten Reserve for six months because of drunken and rowdy behaviour.

But Maribyrnong City Council says the Roosters have only ever had a winter season permit to use the ground and clubrooms.

The council told the club last week that they could not use Shorten Reserve from 31 September to 1 April.

“We’re classified as alcoholics,” West Footscray president Robert McGhie said.

“I’ll tell you how boisterous the place was - we never had police turn up once.”

Mr McGhie said the clubrooms attracted an extra 95 members when the Albert Hotel on Essex St closed down, but said he’d never received any complaints about noise or behaviour.

He said the club strictly abided by its liquor licence and was usually closed by 8pm.

Mr McGhie said the council treated the club like “second-rate citizens” and hadn’t even added wheelchair and disability access to the grounds.

“They’ve (the council) been driving us mad about petty things and they’ve done nothing about the drug raids in the car park where we used to have gates and there’s a stolen car in the car park that’s been sitting here two months.”

The club, which usually trains three nights a week during pre-season, now has to write to the council to train on the grounds one night a week.

Mr McGhie said the club had offered Shorten Reserve to a women’s softball club and a Friday playgroup, which would now have to find other facilities.