Lyme Regis chairman walks 80 miles to raise money for pitch

Gerard Hitchcock of Lyme Regis Football Club trekked from Studland to Lyme Regis in order to raise money for his club to replace the drainage system for the pitch at Davy Fort.

Last season, the club's senior and youth teams 'barely kicked a ball' for five months after persistent heavy rain left the pitch unplayable.

Flooding at Davy Fort (Image: Gerard Hitchcock) However, Mr Hitchcock is determined the club resolves the issue and was delighted with the support he has had from the local community. 

The Seasiders' chairman walked for three days, from Friday, October 4 through to Sunday, October 6 and more than doubled his target of £1,000, raising £2,221 to date.

Mr Hitchcock said: "It was about 83 miles and my legs are definitely feeling it.

"I had this bright idea to do it but I probably regretted it after the first 20 miles, but everyone got on board and sponsored me so I had to get on with it. 

Lyme Regis FC chairman Gerard Hitchcock in Weymouth during his 80 mile coastal walk (Image: Gerard Hitchcock) "To have doubled the target is amazing, getting £1,000 would have been amazing and I still have more money coming in and should raise about £2,500."

The importance of keeping the pitch playable throughout winter is crucial to help the club sustain itself. 

Not playing just one game can impact the club's revenue stream, particularly when still having to pay running costs, even when games are called off. 

Mr Hitchcock added: "The financial impact is massive. We didn't kick a ball for four or five months last year, from November until March.

"There is a massive outlay at the club, we pay for Sky TV and the running costs can be up to £2,000 a month to keep things going.

Flooded pitch at Davy Fort (Image: Gerard Hitchcock) "You still need the heating on so the pipes don't freeze and we have fridges and freezers full of food that need to stay on, the costs are very expensive."

The club plans on doing the work over the next two to three years and will also look to save money by doing the work themselves. 

Bringing in contractors would see the cost of the work skyrocket to £20k, but with help from volunteers, the club can do it for around £7k.

The idea is to 'break ground' on the first stage as soon as the football season finishes in April or May with a couple of drains replaced each year. 

To donate to help the club get new drainage for the pitch at Davy Fort visit www.gofundme.com/f/new-drainage-for-the-pitch