Tadcaster Albion making progress in bid to raise funds that will keep club alive

Tadcaster Albion are making some progress in their bid to raise much-needed funds which they hope will save the club from extinction.
Tadcaster Albions home is still under water after the River Wharfe burst its banks and flooded the Global Stadium. Picture: John ClothierTadcaster Albions home is still under water after the River Wharfe burst its banks and flooded the Global Stadium. Picture: John Clothier
Tadcaster Albions home is still under water after the River Wharfe burst its banks and flooded the Global Stadium. Picture: John Clothier

The Brewers’ future has been plunged into doubt after Storm Ciara wreaked havoc at their ground, leaving them with an estimated £42,000 repair bill.

A JustGiving page set up to help the Bet Victor Northern Premier North West Division club generate cash has, at the time of going to press, already seen £5,814 donated, much to the delight of Albion chairman Andy Charlesworth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re really pleased with the response, it gives us a warm feeling, but there is still a long way to go,” he said.

“We are almost halfway towards raising the £12,000 that we set up the JustGiving page for.

“That sum is around 30 per cent of the total that we think we are going to need based on the assessment of the damage that we made last week, while we are hoping to get a grant from the Football Association to cover the rest.

“There is another emergency meeting scheduled and we are just looking to try and progress our plans.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

While donations to Albion’s JustGiving page do appear to have given the club a fighting chance of ensuring that 125 years of history are not washed away, there is still the very real possibility that the amount they need to find to save themselves will rise considerably in the near future.

“A lot is resting on what happens when we try and turn the floodlights on,” Charlesworth added.

“This is something that we haven’t been able to do as yet because they’re still under water.

“Last time the ground flooded, it cost the club somewhere in the region of £5,000 to repair the floodlights and if we end up with a similar sum to contend with this time around then that means that all the money raised so far by the JustGiving Page will be wiped out.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’ll have a better idea of where we stand once we are able to assess the damage to the floodlights.”

Last week’s flooding at the Global Stadium came just days after volunteers had cleaned and painted the facilities ahead of an FA ground grading inspection that was due to take place later this month.

A two-metre steel fence erected to protect the stadium was demolished by the sheer force of the water when the River Wharfe burst its banks.

The pitch, boiler and clubhouse are submerged and a newly-built facility for visiting officials has been completely destroyed.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Since 2015, when the site in Ings Lane last suffered severe flood damage, the club have been unable to obtain insurance cover, hence their need to source funding for the repair work themselves.

“It’s the worst since 2015,” Charlesworth added.

“The water came over the top of the barriers - it was like a tidal wave. The clubhouse is a metre above ground level but it still flooded.

“We can’t get insurance any more and we have used up all of our cash reserves – we have nothing left.”

To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/savetafc

Related topics: