A FEMALE football team's dream playing tour to the USA has been deflated by the heavy wind storms battering Florida.

Eighteen months' planning and fundraising by Chester-le-Street Ladies FC has gone up the spout of Hurricane Frances.

While many North-East holidaymakers remained stranded in the sunshine state, the 34-strong group of players, officials and parents from the successful County Durham club were grounded on this side of the Atlantic.

The party was due to fly from Manchester Airport last Saturday for a fortnight break, featuring four matches against teams in the Kissimmee area of Florida.

But after several days cancelling and provisionally re-arranging the planned bus link to Manchester, with the party on hold awaiting news, club coaches Bill and Pauline Godward reluctantly had to pull the plug on the trip, particularly as a follow-up storm, Hurricane Ivan, is also possibly bound for Florida.

While the club has been assured by travel operators that it will reimbursed the cost of the holiday, it is unclear if the travel insurance element will be refunded.

Although the decision to cancel left the party hugely disappointed, the club hopes to re-arrange the tour for either February or June.

Mr Godward said it was pure bad luck that the latest hurricanes hit Florida just as the team was poised to travel to Manchester for the flight. "It was only about Tuesday or Wednesday last week that it started looking doubtful as the hurricane approached.

"The flight was cancelled and we had to wait for further news, but I think I resigned myself that we weren't going to be able to go because I've seen the horrendous aftermath these things can cause.

"We haven't been able to contact the teams we were due to play because the power has been down, although I would assume they will be aware we haven't been able to travel.

"The girls have been devastated by it, they have been so much looking forward to it.

"One or two were in tears, but the mood was lifted a little when we decided to go ahead with the trip at some stage next year.

"One of the teams we were due to play are coming over to England in March so we hope to arrange a game with them."

Chester-le-Street, promoted as champions of Northern League division one last season, cancelled their first two fixtures of the Northern Combination season, with the league's blessing, last Sunday and this weekend, due to the planned trip.

Instead they will train on Sunday prior to their opening league fixture, at home against Chester City at Moor Park, on Sunday, September 19, at 2pm.