Whitstable Town face race against time to get The Belmont ready in time for Hawks' flying visit

Sunday 27th February 2011

WHITSTABLE TOWN officials say they are grateful for the kind offers of support during their hour of need, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Belmont Road based club were on a high when Peter Nott’s side defeated Worthing 3-2 at home last Tuesday night, but chairman Joe Brownett turned up at the ground the following morning to a scene of utter devastation as thieves stripped the club changing rooms bare during the night.

The low-life scum pinched every scrap of copper they could find. Stripping the showers, the boiler, taps, pipes, costing the club at least £5,000 to replace.

Yesterday’s home game against Whyteleafe was immediately postponed and has been re-arranged for Tuesday, 15th March.

Club secretary, Gary Johnson said: “Whilst the League secretary (Bruce Badcock) was supportive of our situation the League chairman (Alan Turvey) expressed concern over fixture backlogs and requested that our game be switched to an alternative venue yesterday. With no other local ground available both Sittingbourne and Margate kindly offered their facilities for Sunday (today) should we have required. We thank both clubs for their kind offer of support.”

Mr Johnson added: “Whyteleafe suggested we play the fixture at their ground yesterday, which on behalf of the club I flatly refused, with both loss of home advantage and financials certainly not being prudent. They in turn were not prepared to play on Sunday and reluctantly agreed to move the fixture to the first available date for both teams, being Tuesday 15 March.

“The League have accepted our situation but stipulated that we have until our next scheduled first team home game (Saturday 12 March against Whitehawk) to resolve our issue, otherwise we would be expected to find other acceptable grounds on which to play.

“In the meantime we will work towards a completion date to enable the reserves to fulfil their next home fixture - against Erith Town on Saturday 5 March.”

Chairman Mr Brownett, meanwhile, told his club’s website - www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk - that he was delighted for the way that other clubs and supporters have responded in their hour of need.

He said: “We have had offered of help from local clubs and I understand there was a collection at the games today by some Ryman League clubs.

“Also we have had a number of cheques handed in to help with the rebuilding. Luckily I have a couple of really good plumbers who have worked really hard since Wednesday along with committee man Doug Bubb, who has worked tirelessly repairing the damage.

“We have a committee meeting on Monday evening to co-ordinate our fund raising activities.”

The club have confirmed that they will be staging a fund raising disco on Saturday 12 March in the clubhouse, which will be free of charge to attend, although the club will accept donations on the night.

Supporters are grabbing their paint brushes to paint the dressing rooms today to get ready for Saturday’s reserve team fixture.

www.kentishfootball.co.uk were saddened to hear the news of the break in and reporter Mike Green, who covered the club’s heroic win over Worthing last Tuesday night, said: “When I heard on Wednesday evening what had happened overnight at the Belmont, I must confess that it made me sick to my stomach.

“Ok, any theft is wrong and cannot be condoned, but for it to happen to someone you know and almost consider as “family” makes it even more galling. Indeed, in all my years of watching and reporting on Kent’s Non League scene, I think that Whitstable Town welcome that you get is the most genuine and sincere and the club is one of the only one’s in the whole county that I have never ever heard a bad word uttered against!

“Of course that welcome is wholly down to the people who actually run the club – Joe and Josie (Bownett) , Bruce and Connie (Smith), Tony (Rouse), Gary (Johnson) and Andy (Short) and all the rest of the people (apologies if I haven’t named you personally but you know who you are) who have always made the Belmont such a friendly place to visit over the years.

“And so for something like this to happen to them is so, so sickening and heart breaking, especially as on the field Peter Nott and his players seem to have finally turned things around. Lets not forget Tuesday’s win over play-off chasing Worthing extended their great recent run to just two defeats in fourteen and has really given the side a fighting chance of survival.

“The one thing I would like to say to these heartless @@@@@@ who have taken the copper from the Belmont – I sincerely hope that you choke on your rewards. Because if you think that they have won, I’d just like them to be told from someone outside the club that the Oystermen will have the last laugh as if there’s one thing that I have learned from knowing the people behind the club (and being able to call them friends for now over two decades), is that this act of cowardice will make them stronger when they come out on the other side – and believe me they will!”

To send a donation to the club please send to Gary Johnson, 91 Bull Lane, Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7LY.

Additional reporting from Tony Rouse and Mike Green

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk