Dads in Grief Utd win first match on Father’s Day
Another breach may mean new chaos & misery in flooded town
A FLOODED town is in danger of being hit by an “8ft tidal wave” if the river bursts its banks again.
More torrential rain is expected for parts of the UK, including the already battered Lincolnshire town of Wainfleet.
A firefighter said it could be “10 times worse” if the river fails to hold.
His warning came after two months of rain fell in two days and residents from nearly 600 homes in and around the town were being evacuated to hotels, caravans and a community centre.
About 150 miles to the south west, Worcester also suffered flooding with both its race course and cricket ground under water and swans swimming down an inundated road.
Yesterday police said there is a 1,600ft crack in a waterway to ease flooding from the River Steeping. Chief Insp Phil Vickers said: “We are monitoring it hourly and we’re looking at what can be done.”
RAF helicopters have dropped 270 one-tonne sandbags to try and repair the bank after the floods began.
But more breaches could be catastrophic.
Local Denys Newton, 63, said; “They’ve told us to leave three for four times, saying there could be an 8ft tidal wave.
“They told us if the river breaches it could bring cars and all sorts with it.”
Derek and June Driver, both 76, being DENYS NEWTON ON FEARS OF FURTHER FLOODING IN TOWN A GROUP of grieving dads who formed a football team to support each other after each losing a child played their first match on Father’s Day, and won 5-1.
Sands United FC Doncaster was set up by John Drury, 27, after his son Arthur died in his arms in February last year at just a few hours old.
The 18 players have all lost a child or a grandchild. Their team has been accepted to play in the Doncaster Sunday League in put up in Skegness with their dog, were taken from their uninsured three-bed home in a boat by firefighters when the water reached 4ft.
But Derek vowed to return to the house which, he said he could not get cover for, this weekend. He said: “They will only take me out when I’m brown bread and my toes curl up.”
He claimed the Environment Agency had failed to properly maintained the rivers.
Insurers have told some residents it may take up to 18 months before they can move back home. Locals have helped hand out 13,000 sandbags and a few South Yorkshire in the new season and each player will have the name of his “lost angel” on his shirt under the club crest.
Linked to the charity Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society, Sands United aim “to give men that platform to speak up and not bottle up their grief any more”.
John and wife, Grace, 21, knew Arthur had a heart defect, but believed it would be operable. Tragically, he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest at just five hours old. John, mums using canoes have taken bottles of water to stranded residents.
One, Leanne Blair, 32, said: “I was told to stop as the manholes had lifted and if you fall down one they could suck you in.” Fire services from all over the country were drafted in to help. Local watch manager Paul Deighton said: “It’s the worse flooding I’ve ever seen.”
There was widespread anger yesterday with residents blaming the Environment Agency for failing to dredge the river.
But the agency said its “ultra” powerful pumps had shifted 225 Olympic-sized swimming pools’ worth of water and river levels were dropping.
A spokesman said: “The banks were put under extraordinary pressure because of the extreme amount of rain.”
If the river breaches it could bring down cars and all sorts with it
from Carcroft, South Yorks, arranged the first Sands United game against a local over-30s side on Sunday as a fundraiser.
John, who scored the third goal, said: “You could tell it was the first time we had played together, but everyone enjoyed themselves, from the fans to the players.”
■ Duckpond FC hired a double-decker bus for a victory parade in Harwich, Essex, after winning the Premier Division of the Colchester and District Sunday League.