Community pulls together to help Southam football club

Last week travellers gained access to Southam United FC, which is on Banbury Road.

After the travellers left the site, volunteers and team members at the club returned to find the clubhouse and pitches trashed.

Steve Williams, one of the volunteers at the football club, said: “There was just absolute devastation. We had to wait to get in there and clean up because they left human faeces and we had to get people in to deal with that.

“There was also glass all over the pitches, they chucked paint everywhere, they messed with the electrics and they left all the taps on so the place was totally flooded.

“They also ripped the cupboard doors off, smashed all our cutlery and plates, ruined our goal posts and emptied the bins all over the field.

“We had nothing left.

“I don’t think there will be any football for at least a month. We have teams of under fives all the way to under 15/16s that play here and use the clubhouse. There’s a lot of devastated kids.

After posting photos of the mess left behind at the club, offers of help soon came pouring in from the community.

Steve said: “We have had so many people asking to come and help.

“Me, Adam Sweeney, my brother in law and under 11s manager, Sophie Bourton, who is also a manager, and volunteers started the clean up operation this week. I would like to thank all the coaches and managers at the club who have helped with the clean up.”

Clean up operations were scheduled to take place on Wednesday and Thursday evening.

The team at the football club were expecting least 100 volunteers over the two days.

As well as the clean up, Sophie Bourton also set up a crowdfunding page via JustGiving last week to help raise money to repair the damage.

The page was set up last Thursday and as of Friday afternoon had raised more than £2,200. Steve said: “The community support we have had has been unreal and the Justgiving page is at over £4,000.

“We had a stand at Southam Carnival and we raised around £400. This Sunday we have collection buckets at a wheelbarrow race in Harbury and we are set to have a stall at the Harbury Carnival.”

Steve is also organising a fun day in Harbury on Father’s Day (June 17) to help raise money towards the repairs.

The event, which will take place at both the Gamecock Pub and the Shakespeare Inn in Harbury, will include bouncy castles, a raffle, and auction and other entertainment.

“I have had so many prizes donated and so many great prizes that I am also doing a raffle as well as an auction and every single penny raised from the event will go towards the club repairs.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone as they have just been amazing and to the Gamecock pub and Shakespeare Inn for doing what they are doing for us.”

If anyone would like to donate raffle or auction prizes call Steve Williams on: 07516 141796.

To donate click here