Storm-hit pitches reopen after £17k repairs
ONE of Rochdale’s top amateur football clubs has reopened pitches badly flooded during storms two years ago.
Sacred Heart’s Belfield home ground was battered by Storm Desmond, when it struck the UK in early December 2015.
The club’s junior training area and junior pitches were severely flooded during the downpours, forcing numerous training sessions and matches to be cancelled.
First team pitches were also affected, which also led to senior games being called off.
The club, whose first team play are reigning Manchester League Premier Division champions, was given a £17,450 grant from the Football Foundation’s Emergency Football Relief Fund that awarded cash to football facilities damaged by the storm.
It allowed Sacred Heart to complete a renovation project, including the removal of rubble from the training pitch, levelling works and the installation of a state-ofthe-art new drainage system.
Tony Kershaw, development officer for Rochdale Sacred Heart FC, said: “Without this funding, we would not have been able to start up our youth academy section that today supports 30 grassroots footballers between the ages of 16 and 19-years-old.”
MP Tracey Crouch MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism and Heritage, said: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see that the facilities damaged by floods in Rochdale have been rejuvenated by the Football Foundation’s Emergency Football Relief Fund.
“Grassroots facilities are vital to boosting local communities and it shows what the Premier League, The FA and the Government can achieve when working in partnership to help improve them.”
Roger De Nobrega, chief executive of the Lancashire FA, said: “This is great news for Rochdale Sacred Heart FC and we are pleased to hear that the funding received has enabled the club to reopen and provide football opportuni-