Derbyshire community football club hit by vandals again - as further repairs become ‘impossible to afford’

Bakewell Town FC, who play at the town’s recreation ground, saw their dug-outs damaged recently by vandals, who also left the site covered in litter.

This is not the first time that the club has been targeted – they were forced to repair their facilities in March after a similar incident.

In a statement, a club spokesperson said that the club had become a crucial part of Bakewell’s sporting scene for people of all ages – but were struggling to cope with the “constant” anti-social behaviour.

“If you live in or visit Bakewell, you will no doubt see someone sporting a Bakewell Town FC garment. These people are an integral part of a 300-person strong community club, run solely by volunteers that pride themselves on delivering the best recreational sport they can offer – you may also understand that there are little to no recreational facilities within Bakewell.

“We are slowly changing that here at BTFC. Day-by-day we are engaging people of all ages through regular football, from men’s to women’s and from 5-years-old to 85-years-old – there are no limits in football.

“In the past two years, we have been battling constant anti-social behaviour that unfortunately continues to result in our equipment being severely damaged and litter scattered carelessly.

“With around £1000 worth of damage caused to our dug-outs alone – not to mention our goals on top of that – it is now becoming impossible to afford to keep repairing our equipment.”

Bakewell Town have set up a fundraiser to fix the most recent spate of damage, and the club said any donations would help them continue their work in the local community.

“We plan to not only repair our dug-outs once more, but to bring a new lease of life to the clubhouse, involving a fresh coat of paint and much more to help to continue aiding our community and members.

“Your donation will help tremendously for the club to continue to thrive within the community and to help our youngsters stay fit and active.”

The club’s fundraiser can be found here.

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