Club seeks help to survive until end of season

A football club has said it is "facing a battle to get through the rest of the season".

Farsley Celtic, who play in the sixth tier of English football, has launched a campaign to raise £25,000.

The club's board said the funds would be used towards running costs until the end of the current season, and to help re-lay the pitch at its ground.

In a statement, they said: "We've played the past 10 months without any home games due to delays on installing a new pitch. As a result we have had very little revenue, which has led to severe financial challenges."

Last week the National League North side confirmed chairman Paul Barthorpe had stepped down, with directors Paul Glover, Josh Greaves, John Stubbs and Jon Wickham taking over the running of the club.

Former Brighton, Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper David Stockdale was also confirmed as Farsley's new manager ahead of Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Leamington.

This season the club has yet to play a fixture at its home ground, the Citadel, and currently occupies a relegation place after nine games without a win.

Delays installing a new 4G pitch have resulted in Leeds-based Farsley playing home fixtures almost 70 miles away in Buxton, Derbyshire.

The board said the club's financial challenges "leaves us facing a battle to get through the rest of the season".

"We need help with our running costs to help get us through the season and ensure a bright future for Farsley Celtic," the statement added.

As of Monday morning more than £1,300 had been raised to help the club.

"We're confident we can get there if we all – supporters, the wider community and local businesses – come together to make it happen," the club said.

Its "long-term goal" was still to lay a 4G pitch, but in the short term "the board's aim is to get a playable pitch down as soon as possible to get football back at The Citadel and ensure the club's immediate future".

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