Community rallies to help club hit by arson
RESIDENTS AND RIVAL CRICKET TEAMS PLEDGE SUPPORT AFTER SUSPECTED RACIST ATTACK
A COMMUNITY is rallying round to support a cricket team whose clubhouse was burnt down in a suspected race hate attack.
Players at Fothergill and Harvey Cricket Club, in Littleborough, near Rochdale, say they have been overwhelmed by the support shown since the devastating Bonfire Night fire.
The arson attack came a week after a break-in was discovered at the remote club, which saw about £10,000 of damage caused and vile racist graffiti sprayed on the walls.
Police are investigating the two incidents, which members at the 100-yearold club, made up predominantly of Asian players, believe are linked.
But since the attacks there has been a defiant show of community support, with one member of the public saying: ‘What happened is the opposite of what Littleborough represents.’
First-team player and committee member Kamran Afzal, 34, said: “The response from the community and from people in cricket has been unbelievable.
“We’re getting offers of help from all over. People have been donating money, offering to help clear up.
“Littleborough Cricket Club have said we can use their clubhouse for meetings free of charge.
“Littleborough Lakeside CC have also said they’ll do whatever they can. It’s been very, very unexpected. The people who carried out the attack do not represent Littleborough.
“Littleborough is a lovely place with lovely people and the support they have showed us since this happened has been unbelievable.
“It was very sad that the clubhouse was burnt down and we still cannot understand why it happened, but at the same time it’s been a blessing in disguise.
“It’s really brought the community together.
“None of our players live in Littleborough, we come from other parts of Rochdale, but now we really feel like a part of the community.”
Kamran added that the English Cricket Board had also offered their help and representatives were set to visit the club on Tuesday.
An appeal to raise £5,000 to help rebuild the clubhouse has also been set up on a JustGiving website.
Within a few hours of being launched dozens of people had pledged almost £500.
Writing on the site, Sam Pilling wrote: “What happened is the opposite of what Littleborough represents.”
Another message from Kev Shand read: “Best of luck in raising enough funds, I spent a lot of my childhood playing around the field.”
And a further message came from Pauline Devine. She wrote: “So sorry some mindless idiots did this.
“Hope it’s rebuilt in time for next season.”