Herefordshire football club groundsman 'camped' by the pitch to get rid of floodwater

Westfields FC had to postpone their home game last weekend due to the pitch being flooded

The pitch was fully underwater last week during the flooding
Author: Elliot BurrowPublished 23rd Oct 2024

A Herefordshire football club which found itself underwater as a result of last week's heavy rainfall, say they're confident they will be able to play at home this Saturday.

Westfields FC suffered flooding last week, which affected areas throughout the county and in Worcestershire.

It resulted in the club cancelling their home game against Brimscombe and Thrupp, which was due to take place at the weekend.

Joe Mecke-Davis works full-time as a groundsman, and looks after the pitch on a voluntary basis, and he says he has camped over at the ground to get it ready for this week's game.

The 26-year-old said: "I actually have had a duvet and pillow in my shed for the last couple of years just in case something like this was to happen, so I was well prepared for it.

How the pitch looks normally

"I stayed most of the night there as the one pump I had was petrol and had a strimmer engine on it, so I had to keep topping it up with fuel every half an hour to keep it going to get as much water off as we can.

"I've been pumping the water from the back pitches that surround the main pitch, back into the brook, so that the main pitch water can soak back into them.

"Friday all being well I'll put some nice stripes in, then on Saturday I'll go over it again and mark it out, and then game time."

They are set to face Mangotsfield United FC on Saturday at their home ground Allpay Park.

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