Telford football club thanks generous community for support following floods that saw entire pitch underwater

At the end of September, flooding in Wellington caused the pitch at the SEAH football ground in Wellington to more closely resemble a swimming pool after hundreds of thousands of litres of water poured in from nearby Watling Street.

At around 5pm on Thursday, September 26, water began pouring into the stadium, flooding the foyer, gym, changing rooms and offices.

Within just a couple of hours, the entire pitch was under more than a foot of water.

After a plea for help, a small army of volunteers arrived the following day clad in wellies and armed with brooms to help clear up the mess left behind.

A spokesperson for the club said: "Whilst we might have anticipated some of those coming from within our fan base, we were amazed when people who have never set foot inside our stadium or who follow only from a distance turned up to help.

"Our staff also showed their willingness to ‘muck in’, and it indeed was mucky at times. Despite that, a spirit of togetherness shone through in everyone who contributed, including those currently in temporary accommodation at the Whitehouse Hotel, next door to the stadium."

Local companies also reached out to offer support, with Mitchell's Catering feeding the team of volunteers helping to tidy up, and Hager, based in Hortonwood, offered to replace any electrical fittings damaged by the water ingress.

A fundraiser, set up with the aim of raising £5,000 surpassed its target less than a week after it launched.

A spokesperson for the club said: "We would be in a considerably worse position without the assistance we have received from others. Whatever form this was given, be it time, money, a goodwill message, or something as simple as sharing our story and appeals on social media, it has all helped.

"Our GoFundMe appeal has raised around £6,000, a truly humbling figure and something we did not expect. We debated whether we should have such an appeal, but having received comments on social media from people wishing to donate, we chose to do so. We had no expectations in this respect.

"The target figure of £5000 was arbitrary, mainly because GoFundMe requires you to set a target. However, we had no genuine feeling for how well this would be supported; had we received just £100, we would have accepted it gratefully, so to receive this level of support has been fantastic.

"Funds are already being put to good use, restoring the stadium to order. Whilst the club has insurance and couldn’t operate without insurance, as anyone who has ever had to make a claim will know, it can take time.

"The money donated has given us a head start, particularly since we have had fewer home fixtures and have just invested in refurbishing our Goalzone facility.

"As the remedial work continues, the costs will likely increase. We can’t say with any certainty how much the total costs associated with the flood will be, but needless to say, it will all be expenditures that we had not anticipated."

To thank those who helped out, the team invited volunteers and emergency service members to watch a game from their hospitality lounge as a way of thanks.

The fundraiser is still open to donations, and available to view online at: gofundme.com/f/afc-telford-united-flood-damage-appeal