Save Wardle Football Club

Wardle FC's club house

Wardle Football Club needs to raise at least £150,000 for a new club house. If the funds can’t be raised, the club may have to fold.

Club Chairman Rick Fielding said: “The council has been out to look around and inspect things and when they saw the club house, they have said that it is not fit for purpose and that because of health and safety we can’t use it.”

It is understood that the club was close to signing a 99 year lease on their current ground but have had to put things on hold.

Rick added: “The council offered us a 99 year lease because to get funding from the FA and Football Foundation you need at least ten years left on your lease and we had nine, but we can’t sign that at the minute because of the clubhouse.

“With adult football you need changing rooms. It is not something you can do without changing rooms.

“To build a clubhouse it would cost around £300,000 but we have been told that we need to raise at least £150,000 to get the funding to build the new building.”

Rick is worried that grassroots football is suffering and will continue to suffer without help from outside bodies.

He said: “We have three adult teams and four junior teams. Money is not being put into grassroots football. We aren’t getting any help and it is going to end us.

“The Premier League has just received about £5 billion and we can’t get help from anyone. People need grassroots football and it is going to die because of the lack of help. We don’t say no to anyone but people can easily say no to us.”

Anyone who thinks they can help the club raise the funds can contact Rick via 07759 127135 or fieldingrichard@sky.com