WORSBROUGH Bridge were ‘utterly demoralised’ by a third flood of their Park Road pitch.
Their Park Road ground, which is next to the River Dove, regularly floods.
Chairman Mark Booth said: “Once is hard, twice rips your soul out and three is just utterly demoralising.
“Three times is unprecedented. I am in my fifth season here and it’s flooded every year – sometimes twice.
“The pitch had barely recovered from the second flood. All we can do try to get it as dry as possible by volunteer hours – sand, forking, hard work and graft. There is no magic solution.
“There doesn’t appear to be much appetite from any authority to take responsibility. The council say it’s the water board, the water board say it’s the environmental people. We go round in circles with no one taking direct action. It’s really frustrating.
“Steph Peacock (Barnsley MP) raised it in the House of Commons.
“There is funding out there but it doesn’t help solve the issue long-term.
“Dredging seems a no go, so do flood defences. We are almost in a position where we’re just waiting for it to happen then we just try to put it right.”
Does Booth fear for the club’s long-term future?
“No. It has been here 100 years.
“Worsbrough people are resilient.
“The volunteers will put hours in. It’s difficult and energy-sapping but the club will survive because that’s what it does.”
Bridge may face a backlog of fixtures at the end of the campaign. Their game on Saturday is in doubt. Booth said: “The league was extended to 23 teams which was extremely ill-thought out. We’re not the only team with these issues.
“We’ve played more home games than eight other clubs. But we don’t want to play three or four a week.
“We have no spare Saturdays and not many free midweeks.”
Bridge brought former manager Lee Morris back for a second spell this season and are 16th in NCEL Division One.
Booth said: “Lee was always the right choice. Our league position is not reflective of results we’ve had since he came in.
“Worsbrough have been perennial strugglers for 40 years with not many top ten finishes.
“In the last five we have had two and never been in a squeaky bum moment.
“My remit was to make us sustainable and stable. We are never going to spend the money some clubs do but, on our day, we can give them a game.”
Wombwell Town are out of the play-off places after they lost 3-2 at Horbury Town on Tuesday. Rikki Paylor opened the scoring then, after the hosts went 2-1 up, he levelled on 80 minutes only for Horbury to win it in injury-time.
Town’s game at home to promotion rivals Parkgate was called off on Saturday.
Athersley Rec lost 7-0 at Beverley Town who went top. Rec are 18th with 26 points from 33 games – six points clear of the relegation zone.
Penistone Church’s game at Frickley Athletic in the Premier Division was called off.
They are seventh with 43 points from 26 games, three points off the play-off places.
They are now due to host second-placed Campion.
