SEVERNSIDERS REFLECT ON COVID 19

Lydney RFC have received £5000 of emergency Funding via National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund to help the Club survive in these very difficult times. With no income into the Club since the Lockdown began back in March the grant will help pay mandatory costs over the coming months.

Club Spokesman Roger Pike comments ‘It’s been an unimaginable season with events off the pitch dominating than the playing matters on it. Hopes were high for top spot as the season kicked off; however playing matters have almost been forgotten with the tragic events that were to follow. In early February Storm Ciara arrived followed closely by Dennis over the weekend of the 15th February and disaster struck with Regentsholme and the Clubhouse totally flooded out. A herculean effort from working parties, volunteers, crowd funding, grants etc, saw the impossible happen and the Severnsiders were back playing at home again by early March. If these were not disastrous events, far worse was to follow with the deadly Corona Virus striking the UK. Following Government advice the season was correctly ended 4 games short with the Severnsiders in second spot and looking favourite for a promotion spot. We are extremely grateful for this emergency funding from Sport England, we have no current income into the Club, although the Club is closed we still have costs from loans, utility standing orders plus the normal monthly Insurances. Measures are likely to continue for some while with no timescales announced for any possible restart this funding will be critical to ensure our survival.’

Chairman Duncan Sleeman added’ with the league points situation aggregated we have just missed promotion which we surly would have been achieved with 3 home and 1 away game left. However we are real battlers at Lydney on and off the pitch, following the Government guidelines we have manged to get some work done continuing the refurbishment of the Clubhouse, in particular new toilets and also given the pitch a complete makeover as regards drainage and reseeding. With no pre-season training possible we are going to take the opportunity to paint the Changing Rooms over the coming weeks. We have received an additional grant from Gloucestershire RFU of £7500 for flood defences, which will go to clearing flood ditches, refurbishment of a large pump and some flood resistant doors to give us better protection for the future. However just survival is our biggest issue, we have no current income, our Sponsors have major business issues of their own so it is very unclear what the future holds but the Sport England and GRFU awards have been a life saver. We are hopeful as soon as restrictions are lifted we can open our Clubhouse, we have plenty of space to operate social distancing and will be preparing the Clubhouse accordingly’.

The message from Lydney RFC is for us all follow the Government guidelines, apply common sense and social distancing, stay safe, help the NHS, then the sooner we will be out the other side, rugby will return at Regentsholme but for now nothing is more important than life itself.

Roger Pike