Shropshire Star

Market Drayton Town FC counts costs as seating vandalised - with video

"Mindless thugs" have broken into a Shropshire town's football stadium and ripped apart the ground's seating.

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Market Drayton’s first team coach Nick Roberts with seats ripped out after the home match

Market Drayton Town FC has had about five seats in the home and away end ripped apart after the club was broken into after its last home game.

Following the team's last game at its stadium, off Greenfields Lane, on Saturday January 5, vandals broke into the club overnight to cause the damage.

Carly Roberts, first team social media officer, said it was a disappointing act that will cost the club unnecessary fees.

"I don't know whether the club will just be able to replace them straight away as the seats come in a row, so it would more than likely be that each row containing just one broken seat will have to be replaced," she said.

"Fortunately we don't think it was a specific attack on the club, and rather just kids who managed to break in after our last home game to cause trouble.

Vandalised seats at Market Drayton FC

"Luckily we haven't had a home game since the damage was done, but the club obviously has other fixed costs that are more urgent to pay.

"It's annoying because it is money that needs to be spent on other things such as the team, staff and of course other facilities.

Vandalised seats at Market Drayton FC

"They are located on stands that aren't easy to work on so I think we're going to have to remove the damaged seats and leave them empty for the time being."

The club's Twitter page took to the social media platform after the incident saying it was the work of "mindless thugs".

Vandalised seats at Market Drayton FC

Market Drayton FC posted: "Just want to say a massive well done to the midless thugs who vandalised some seats at our ground recently.

"It's no worried though, we can just go to the money tree we have growing and pick off some cash to replace them."

Other football clubs and members of the public responded to the post expressing their disappointment.

Hinton Football Club posted: "We hope you can identify the culprits, we have also been victims of wilful vandalism at our volunteer run club."

Andrew Fleming posted: "So sorry guys. I know how damaging this is, they unfortunately never will."

Johnathon Cowan posted: "Terrible. Good club and good set up there."