Games goes ahead despite devastating blaze
BRIGHOUSE Town's home game against Bridlington Town on Saturday will go ahead.
The football club had to cancel Tuesday night's game and feared this weekend's game would be called off after a blaze burnt out one cabin and seriously damaged another.
Vice-chairman Ray McLaughlin said: "We had to postpone Tuesday evening's home game against Lincoln Moorland Railway due to safety issues regarding the burnt-out shell but after support and advice from NCEL Ground Grading secretary Ian Cox, the league has agreed that our home game against champions Bridlington Town on Saturday can go ahead."
Mr Cox has recommended that a fence should be put up around the fire damaged areas and appropriate signs warning spectators, officials and other members of the public not to enter the fenced off areas be provided.
The club will convert the old physio room in the changing area into a small hospitality room and a toilet next to that room will be used for spectators.
Crow Nest Golf Club which is next to the Dual Seal Stadium will offer their facilities for after-match hospitality.
The only facility that the club will not be able to provide is refreshments.
Firefighters from Brighouse, Halifax and Odsal were called to the ground on St Giles Road, Hove Edge, at 3am on Monday.
They found two 40ft cabins, used as the club's bar, hospitality lounge and public toilets, well alight.
Watch manager at Brighouse Fire Station Alex MacFarlene said they were there for three hours dealing with the blaze, which spread from one cabin to another.
They managed to stop it before the cabin containing the toilets was consumed but the cabin used as a bar was destroyed.
"Police and fire officers are still assessing the cause of the blaze, but club officials found items stashed away at the ground that had been taken out of the bar area, leaving them to believe that there had been a break-in and the thieves had set fire to the cabin as they left," said Mr McLaughlin.
Last month a sneak thief was thought to be responsible for the theft of 350 from the club's changing rooms. The money was being used to provide a new set of training kit for the squad.
"We have completed the safety measures outlined by Mr Cox in his report," said Mr McLaughlin. "I know its heartbreaking to see all the hard work everyone has put in, literally go up in smoke, but we need to move on from this and concentrate on getting everything that needs to be done completed.
"Every challenge we have come against in the last few years we have met and in fact exceeded, so I know it will be the same again now."
Town's long serving former player, committeeman and now assistant manager of the reserve team, Darren Laycock said he was both utterly saddened and dismayed over the suspected arson attack.
"After all the hard work put in by the likes of Wally Hemingway and co-members to make those rooms ideal for football at this level while we looked to move to the next step is heartbreaking," he said. "Everyone coming to this ground was full of praise for what we had achieved in so short a time."
The fire comes after Brighouse were defeated while hosting their first ever FA Cup tie last Saturday when they were beaten 2-1 by Dunston UTS in an extra preliminary round tie.
First team coach Darren Attwood said: "We lost the FA Cup game at the weekend and our centre half was out because of an injured ankle.
"They say things come in threes, this must be the last one."
The club would like to thank everyone for their support and good wishes especially the NCEL league and Bridlington Town who have been very understanding.
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Weather for Halifax
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
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