BREAK-IN HELL FOR STEELMEN
CORBY TOWN are the latest Non-League club left counting the cost of a break-in at their Steel Park home.
The Southern League Division One Central highflyers had their ground raided and vandalised twice in two days last Saturday and Sunday night.
Burglars broke in, smashed the door to manager Steve Kinniburgh’s office, vandalised the pool table, broke a games machine and stole speakers and a music system.
Stevie Noble, Corby’s chairman since 2014, and volunteers did their best to secure the ground the following day, but the vandals returned and stole TVs from both of the club’s bars and strimmers from the groundstaff shed along with other items. There was further damage to the laundry room, refreshment shed and boardroom with the estimated cost of the break-in expected to be in the thousands.
Two weeks ago, the outbuilding at Hartley Wintney was damaged and the pitch driven across as a means of a getaway before Winslow United’s goalmouths were dug up, goalposts damaged and nets stolen. Corby’s loyal band of volunteers were left to clean up the ground in preparation for their home fixture against Aylesbury yesterday, but the incidents have come as a major blow for a club engrained in the community with male and female teams ranging from Under 9s to adults. “It’s just so deflating for all the volunteers, who are up here six days a week doing things, to see all their efforts and good work get trashed,” Noble told The NLP.
“We haven’t got a lot of money, we haven’t got a lot of equipment but what we do have is very much needed. It’s not just the stealing of the equipment, it’s the damage they have caused.
Perspective
“On Monday we were so deflated but we put a bit out on social media and we’ve been inundated by people offering their help, tools and equipment, even ‘teles’ from their house.
“I’ve had a lot of nice messages from the clubs around us and the County FA. People don’t realise just a wee text or email the difference that can make to you. It’s been really uplifting to be honest.
“The community has been fantastic, it’s not just football people offering their help.
“We must be doing something right when people like that are willing to help you. For all the work we try to do in the community, it makes it all worthwhile.
“As a chairman you always see things that need to be done, you want to do things better and better.
“This has actually shown us how far we have come. I think we’re a halfdecent club, we’re getting there.
“Nobody’s died, it puts things into perspective as well. We’re quite pragmatic people, we’ll get back to it.”
Corby have appealed for anyone with any knowledge of the burglary to come forward by either e-mailing the club at info@corbytown.co.uk, or call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or by ringing Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
“IT’S JUST SO DEFLATING FOR ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE UP HERE SIX DAYS A WEEK ” DOING THINGS – Stevie Noble Corby chairman