Belper Town chairman says club can look forward to a bright future after bouncing back from flood damage

Belper Town chairman Ian Woodward is proud of the progress of the club.

The club’s Christchurch Meadow ground was left flooded by rising waters from the Derwent river just over 12 months ago.

It left the pitch unplayable and cost the club crucial income from a loss of function revenue.

But Woodward feels the club have bounced back and can now look forward to a brighter future.

“I can remember it well (the night of the floods), I was the first one in,” he told BBC Radio Derby.

“We couldn't get in the clubhouse because the water was so high up. I waded into the clubhouse and there was devastation.

“We came away from it and, on that night, we decided as a club that we can’t bury our heads in the sand.

“We decided we could use it to change the club, to make it better and that it would be a fresh start for us - in a way that is what happened and it was good.

“If we didn't have the backing of sponsors, individual directors and the generosity of local business it could have crippled us.

“It meant we couldn't do any functions and then we got COVID, so it was a double whammy. It was difficult times and we were so grateful for the help we got.

“We decided we wanted to take the club forward and make it a professionally run club. A year on the club is unrecognisable, it is fantastic.”

As part of the improvements, the club will open their new community 4G training pitch whenever lockdown ends.

It will give the club the ability to have all age groups training under one roof, with community groups also able to hire pitches.

The Nailers will also be able to offer community functions and events seven days a week, allowing them to create a regular stream of income.

“We want Belper Town to be an asset for belper,” Woodward added. “It will be a seven day a week venue, that's the way we have to run things to finance the club in the modern day.

“Just before lockdown gates were up and people were coming to watch non-league football. Non-league football is taking off at the moment and we hope, when we get back to it we will have even more people coming.”