Community rallies round to raise over £1,000 to support Washington AFC after pitches left destroyed by mindless vandals

Football club members have been touched by support after the community rallied round following ‘mindless’ vandalism of its pitches.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

In response to the vandalism, the community has rallied round to raise over £1,000 for the club in order for them to put a fence around the pitch to stop similar attacks happening again.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The damage to the pitches, which are used by both adults and children, affected around 50 teams and left them out of action while volunteer ground staff got to work on repairing them.

Washington AFC Head of Football, Gary SykesWashington AFC Head of Football, Gary Sykes
Washington AFC Head of Football, Gary Sykes

Gary Sykes, Head of Football at Washington AFC said: “It’s heartbreaking because it’s been a difficult year as it is with the Covid. We have come back and have been repairing the pitches with the ground staff, who are all volunteers.”

Members of the community were quick to respond to the vandalism, setting up a Just Giving page within hours of the news being shared, with the aim of raising £2,500.

The page reads: “We are asking you to donate to this fundraiser to ensure that children, families and adults can enjoy football on safe, secure pitches.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It’s already been a difficult year and people have suffered mentally. Let's pull together and please donate”

Damage done to the pitch by vandalsDamage done to the pitch by vandals
Damage done to the pitch by vandals

So far, the total money raised stands at £1070 and anyone who wishes to donate can do so at this link.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Damage done to the pitch by vandalsDamage done to the pitch by vandals
Damage done to the pitch by vandals

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.