Weather, described by the Meteorological Office as “gusty”, ripped through the ground leaving a trail of destruction in its wake between 1pm and 3.15pm.

Southam, known as the Saints, are top of the Midland Combination Premier Division.

But luckily Saturday's home game with Pilkington XXX had been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Chairman Charles Hill said: "It's almost impossible to comprehend how they could have been wrenched out the ground like that.

“We're just grateful there was no one sitting in them when it happened."

Anne Hancocks, wife of club secretary Bob, was one of the first on the scene when the incident happened.

She said: “I took a phone call just after 3pm to say that the stands had collapsed.

“Bob was at a football match, but I had to have a look and just couldn't believe what I saw.

“The wind had come from the direction of the road and had taken out both stands and a tree - it was as though someone had pushed them over, they looked identical.

“Luckily they fell backwards away from the pitch so matches can still go ahead, but there is no seating.”

Manager Barry Shearsby had been at the ground at 1pm when “the weather wasn’t that bad” and was “gobsmacked” when he discovered they had collapsed.

The club is talking to its insurance company and replacement stands could cost up to £35,000.

But Mr Shearsby said new stands will need to be in place before the start of the next season in case Saints go up the league.

The league says they can still use the ground as long as the affected areas are made safe.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “We do not have any particularly strong winds recorded for Saturday, but sometimes when you get bands of rain pushing through it can drag winds down to the surface and these become turbulent if they are funnelled through narrow gaps.”

Southam are at home to Continental Star on Saturday week (December 22) and host Highgate United in a top-of-the-table clash on New Year's Day.