FOOTBALLERS in the Bristol Downs League are in for a pleasant surprise when they kick off for the new season.

As they lace up their boots and pull up their socks, they will notice their changing rooms will be looking an awful lot smarter.

Offenders on community orders have been doing unpaid work every Monday for the last few months, refurbishing the changing rooms that cater for scores of teams over the winter months.

Yesterday, for seven hours, a team of six men were cleaning, painting and repairing the block.

Bristol City Council has provided cleaning materials and equipment, while the manpower has been organised by Avon and Somerset Probation Service.

Supervisor placement manager Keith Bartlett said: "The changing rooms were in a pretty awful state before we started.

"There is probably enough work to be done here for two or three years. At the moment we are doing the shower rooms and corridors."

Unpaid work used to be known as community service. It is often a requirement of a community order imposed by the courts for crimes such as assaults and driving offences, when not so serious that the defendant is sent to prison.

Mr Bartlett said that the vast majority of people who do unpaid work do have pride in what they have done.

He added: "Ninety-nine per cent of people do, but it depends on the job they do when they come on community service.

"I try to get them the more interesting jobs and I try to give them a specific task to take ownership of, so that when they've finished they can say to themselves 'I've done that'. It's important that they enjoy what they are doing, if possible.

"Hopefully when the footballers get changed for the new season they'll notice a real difference."

There are more than 30 team changing rooms, plus a block of referees' changing rooms on the Downs.

The Saturday football league has 56 teams in four divisions, meaning more than 700 people descend upon the green space on match days.

Mervyn Baker, one of Downs League's vice-presidents, said: "We're absolutely delighted. In this day and age it's wonderful to see people putting something back into the community.

"The lads have done themselves proud. We're very grateful to the city council and the probation service."