A FOOTBALL club in County Durham has started a fundraising campaign to help pay for floodlight repairs, which could bring a serious financial burden on the club.

Willington AFC has announced a fund raising initiative to help pay for essential repairs which could bring the club to its knees financially.

After last season was abandoned in November 2020, the lights were not turned on again until the start of this season.

It was found that there were problems with two of the eight pylons, causing the club to have to ask the Northern League to postpone all its midweek games so far.

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This has cost the club a lot, in loss of revenue from gate receipts, bar takings, programme sales, tea hut takings, and has also caused a fixture backlog.

Having called in specialist floodlight consultant Colin Brown, the club discovered that there was a major electrical fault underneath the pitch.

Vice Chairman Richard Bloomfield said: “It simply isn’t feasible to dig up the pitch in the middle of the season, so we have had to have a new electrical feed installed for the two pylons which were not working.

"Inspections have thrown up issues with other lights and a number of new lights are needed.

"There is a perception that clubs such as ours are awash with money but the reverse is true; we are staffed by volunteers who often have to put their own money in.

"The effect of the floodlight issue has quite literally been to wipe out all our reserves.

"We need outside help to pay for the repairs. The suddenness of the problem means that we have not been able to apply for grant funding.

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"After two seasons disrupted by Covid we were hoping to get the club back on to an even keel and now this has happened.

"People see the multi-million-pound deals last week at Newcastle United and never really consider how we exist day to day.

"It really is another world and we are truly desperate for help.”

To fix the problems the club is now having to raise £5,000 for the repairs.

The club is appealing to those in the community to help support the fundraiser.

To donate to help the club visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/willo-lights

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