Ian Schofield, residents and Club Members cleaning up the Cricket Ground

Ramsbottom Councillors, Rob Hodkinson and Ian Bevan have welcomed the announcement from Sport England that Ramsbottom Cricket Club is to receive £12,500 from the Flood Relief Fund.

Ramsbottom Cricket Club has been recovering following the Boxing Day floods when it suffered serious damage due to the flooding. The flood water of the River Irwell deposited tonnes of mud and silt all over the Cricket Ground and damage to the cricket square has devastated the club. Substantial damage occurred to the club’s ground maintenance machinery and the road at the far side of the ground was almost washed away, leaving a £70,000 repair bill.

Ian Schofield, a Committee Member at the Cricket Club, and Conservative Candidate for Ramsbottom in May’s local council elections said:

“It was heartbreaking to see the damage sustained, but very encouraging to see the community coming together to clear the mess. In the past few weeks there has been a magnificent effort by local residents to clear the silt and mud. Residents across the town came together to help the clean-up effort.”

“The Club are grateful to David Nuttall, MP for Ramsbottom, who raised the issue of the damage to our Club with the Minister for Sport in the House of Commons. The Club worked hard to gain access to Sport England’s Emergency Flood Relief Fund which was set up to help restore pitches and repair community sports facilities damaged by the floods. We are so pleased that we have received some funds to help get the Club back on track.”

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Question to Sports Minister from David Nuttall MP:

“The grounds of both Ramsbottom United Football Club and Ramsbottom Cricket Club, which are in my constituency, were completely submerged during the recent floods, which caused tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of damage. Although the supporters have worked valiantly and they have done what they can to help themselves, the clubs are still struggling to recover. What further help might the Government provide, as a matter of urgency, to help them to do so?”