Community rallying to help children's football club in Southam after devastation caused by travellers

Earlier this week travellers gained access to Southam United FC.

After the travellers left the site volunteers and team members at the club returned to the site to find the clubhouse and pitches trashed.

Steve Williams, one of the volunteers at the football club , said: "There is just absolute devastation. We are waiting to get in there and clean up but we have to wait because they left human faeces and we have to get people in do deal with that.

"There is also glass all over the pitches, they chucked paint everywhere, they have messed with the electrics and they left all the taps on so the place is totally flooded.

"They have also ripped the cupboard doors off, smashed all our cutlery and plates, ruined our goal posts and emptied the bins all over the field.

"We have nothing left.

"I don't think there will be any football for at least a month. We have teams of under fives all the way to under 15/16s that play here and use the clubhouse. There's a lot of devastated kids.

"We did have a tournament planned for Sunday but that can't go ahead."

After posting photos of the mess left behind at the club, offers of help soon came pouring in from the community.

Steve said: "We have had so many people asking to come and help with the clean up and we are open to any help that the community can give us.

"Me, Adam Sweeney, my brother in law and under 11s manager, Sophie Bourton, who is also a manager, and volunteers are waiting for the go ahead to start the clean up operation."

Steve is also planning an event in Harbury on Father's Day in June to help raise money towards the repairs.

The event, which will take place at both the Gamecock Pub and the Shakespeare Inn in Harbury, will include bouncy castles, a raffle and other entertainment.

Sophie Bourton has also set up a crowdfunding page via JustGiving to help raise money to repair the damage.

The page was set up on Thursday and as of Friday afternoon had raised more than £2,200.

To donate click here.