We will work to get the club back on its feet, vows Deal Town director Phillip Moore

DEAL TOWN have suffered a major blow following a fire at their ground at The Charles Sports Ground, St Leonard’s Road this afternoon, writes Stephen McCartney.


Details were published on the Kent Fire & Rescue Service website at 5:05pm that said “around 30 firefighters are dealing with a fire at a sports pavilion in St Leonard’s Road, Deal, to fight the blaze in the store room of the single-storey building.

Residents in the area have been asked to keep windows and doors shut due to the smoke being generated.

The Kent League club, who won the FA Vase underneath the iconic Wembley Towers under then manager Tommy Sampson in May 2000, are expected to call off Saturday’s Umbro Kent Senior Trophy first round tie against Corinthian owing to safety reasons.

“It is highly likely that Saturday’s game is off but we have to wait to have official notification that the ground is safe before we can appraise the situation fully,” said club director Phillip Moore late on Thursday night.

“We are meeting as a board tomorrow to plan for the short term but the new clubhouse is gone and other infrastructure like stands and floodlights are severely damaged and pitch burnt.

“We are hugely touched by the response from the local community and the Kent football community.  Offers of help and ground shares are flooding in.

“There is a huge amount of work to do but the board, supporters’ and supporters’ club will work diligently to get the club back on its feet again and Deal Town Football Club will be stronger for the experience.”

The club are presently in the bottom five in the Kent Hurlimann Football League table with two wins and two draws from their nine league outings.

Visit Deal Town’s website: www.dealtownfc.co.uk