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Angels crowdfund to protect pitch

March 20, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch: Tonbridge Angels Football Club has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £35,000 so that it can purchase covers and carry out urgent work on the pitch and drainage system at Longmead. The plea comes with the club’s finances suffering severely after a succession of home games at the stadium have […]

ECB statement on recreational game

March 19, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

ECB statement on recreational game: “Following the Government’s latest advice around social distancing, it is with sadness and reluctance that we recommend that all forms of recreational cricket are for now suspended. “This extends to training, pre-season friendlies and any associated cricket activity. “Sport plays an absolutely vital role in the nation’s mental and physical […]

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch

March 20, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

ECB statement on recreational game

March 19, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

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Angels crowdfund to protect pitch

March 20, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch: Tonbridge Angels Football Club has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £35,000 so that it can purchase covers and carry out urgent work on the pitch and drainage system at Longmead.

The plea comes with the club’s finances suffering severely after a succession of home games at the stadium have been postponed due to waterlogging.

Incessant rain has meant the ground has been too wet to satisfy the National League’s requirement for player safety, and the club has only played at home once since January 4.

On Monday (March 16) the league announced that all fixtures would be postponed until April 3 in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Three days later the Football Association said football would not resume until at least April 30 – though the governing body intends to try and complete the season during the summer.

When the season resumes, they may have to complete the campaign by playing at other club’s grounds, which means they will have to pay a fee to the hosts and also miss out on crucial bar and catering revenue. The National League has given them permission to do so.

The club was promoted after winning two play-offs last year to reach its highest ever league position but now faces a battle to avoid relegation with a congested fixture list until the end of the current campaign.

They had to call off the much-awaited local derby against Maidstone on March 10 – which was originally supposed to be played on Boxing Day.

The club is expecting its biggest crowd of the season for the visit of their rivals – the last league fixture in 2014 attracted 1,168 fans, double the usual gate – but the fixture has now been cancelled three times.

The Angels chairman Dave Nethercott wrote an open letter to fans admitted that it was ‘running out of money’ and asking for financial help.

The club is owned by its supporters, who pay an annual fee in return for having a say in the way it is run. But Mr Nethercott said they needed to raise a minimum of £7,600 per week for the last eight weeks of the season, or more than £60,000.

An emergency meeting was called on March 5 to discuss the options for ground renovation in order to avoid a repeat of this winter’s flooding.

Peter Elves, the head groundsman, said the drainage has ‘now outlived its working life’ and that three games have been allowed to be played that have compromised the playing surface.

One suggestion was to install an artificial surface which, with new floodlighting, would cost between £500,000 and £600,000.

However, such a move would take two to three years to complete, and a more immediate solution needs to be found.

So the club has decided to buy covers to protect the playing surface while also carrying out renovations of the existing underground drainage.

A spokesperson said: “Our pitch at the Halcyon Wealth Longmead Stadium has served Tonbridge Angels FC well over the past 40 years and has been witness to scores of exciting matches.

“It’s fair to say that it’s starting to feel its age somewhat – in particular the underground drainage system – and this has not been helped by the record rainfall of this winter.

“Urgent major renovations are required which include the procurement of state-of-the-art covers if we are to maintain a high standard of semi-professional football in the town.”

He added: “Please donate whatever you can spare to this community based club largely run by volunteers to ensure we are able to provide football in Tonbridge for spectators to enjoy and for future generations of young people to compete in the UK’s national game.”

To make a donation visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/tonbridge-angels

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ECB statement on recreational game

March 19, 2020/in Industry News, News, Press Release/by External Source

ECB statement on recreational game: “Following the Government’s latest advice around social distancing, it is with sadness and reluctance that we recommend that all forms of recreational cricket are for now suspended.

“This extends to training, pre-season friendlies and any associated cricket activity.

“Sport plays an absolutely vital role in the nation’s mental and physical wellbeing, and it helps people find meaning where there is fear and uncertainty, so one of our goals in the coming weeks will be to explore ways that we can support some levels of physical activity in communities – particularly at junior levels.

“Using our cricket community to support others could be one of the most important services we can offer during the difficult next few months.

“It will be critical that any decisions we do make are medically-led. And we will continue to work with Government and their advisors to ensure we are informed by science in our decision making.

“Over the coming weeks we will work with the game to understand what support is required across the cricket community, particularly local clubs and leagues – who will have such a huge role to play in our nation’s response to coming out of this situation.”

Click here to read the original article

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch

ECB statement on recreational game

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch

ECB statement on recreational game

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch

Angels crowdfund to protect pitch: Tonbridge Angels Football Club has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise £35,000 so that it can purchase covers and carry out urgent work on the pitch and drainage system at Longmead.

ECB statement on recreational game

ECB statement on recreational game: “Following the Government’s latest advice around social distancing, it is with sadness and reluctance that we recommend that all forms of recreational cricket are for now suspended.

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