Major flooding engulfs stadium

Bosses at a sports stadium on the Isle of Wight are worried a big flood may have caused untold damage

Published 23rd Jan 2022

It's thought contractors accidentally burst a mains water pipe on Friday which left parts of Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde under water.

The complex is used by Island Speedway and Ryde Saints Football Club.

The incident happened on Friday lunchtime with bosses reporting "many areas of the stadium site were quickly submerged".

The speedway pits, stands, grass verges, speedway track and football pitch have been badly affected and there are also suggestions that there may be ingress in the main building around the gym area.

Wightlink Warriors co-owner Barry Bishop said, "It was with great concern that I saw the photos and video footage of the flooding at Smallbrook Stadium caused by the water main that burst.

"Such a deluge of water can create considerable damage - some of which may not yet be visible - and we are now working with Southern Water and their contractors to resolve the situation, so that we can get the stadium operating and back to normal as fast as possible.

"Luckily the forecast of mild dry weather will help us.

"I know this incident will be heart-breaking for all the volunteers who worked tirelessly last week on stadium improvements.

"It is such a shame, but ultimately these things happen, and we should tackle this head-on and positively, fix it, and keep up the great work we do to keep the stadium so attractive and welcoming for all.

"I would like to thank the local volunteers for protecting what they could and getting the recovery operation moving."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.