Submerged Football Club In Jeopardy
28th January, 2008
The future of Tadcaster Albion could be in jeopardy after flooding caused extensive damage to their clubhouse last week.
Chairman Kevin Derry fears the club may now fold unless extra financial backing to cover the regeneration costs is found in the next few months, reports Wetherby News.
It is the latest set-back for the team after an arson attack caused more than ?10,000 worth of damage to the clubhouse at the end of last year.
Mr Derry strongly believes this latest tragedy could mark the end of Tadcaster's proud 116-year football club history with the latest estimated clean up now in the region of ?10,000.
"It's been one problem after another at the club, first the arson and now this," said Mr Derry this week.
"We're hoping there is interest from the local community and businesses around the town to help us out because if there isn't it will make it very hard to continue.
"We can't put a price on the scale of the damage but we're looking in the region of ?10,000. But it could be more if we have to rip the floorboards out and the carpets and refurbish the whole place again."
Tadcaster's pitch is situated at the back of the John Smith's Brewery on Ings Lane, in close proximity to the River Wharfe.
Heavy rain last week has caused the river to burst its banks submerging the playing surface and later the clubhouse.
"Over the years I have seen some serious flooding here but this year has been worse than the floods in 2000 and 2001," continued Mr Derry.
"Five years ago we were quoted ?16,000 to insure against the flooding and I think that will have risen to around ?20,000 now and that's money we simply can't afford.
"It seems to be getting worse every year and now it's becoming very hard and expensive to get compensation for the club because we're so close to the river and on a flood plain."
Mr Derry has now mooted the prospect of relocating the club away from their current location to prevent a repeat of last week's incident.
He's also asking for help from the Tadcaster community to turn the situation around.
"We've got to seriously look at the possibility of relocation because we can't go on like we are," he said.
"Whether that is moving out of the area I don't know. I hope not because we've been part of the Tadcaster community for years and we would be sad to move.
"Hopefully now the residents of the town come and help us out. We've been part of the community for a long time and there are a loyal number of supporters who come down here each week who will miss it."
(Story Source: Wetherby News)
Click here for Tadcaster Albion's team page.