A FLOOD damaged football pitch re-opened on Saturday following extensive work carried out to repair it following Storm Desmond.

The official opening of the Eden District Council owned King George V Field at Appleby was marked by a Westmorland FA Senior Challenge Cup fixture between the home town side and Ambleside FC.

The severe impact of the storm saw the pitch flooded, leaving Appleby AFC, whose first-team currently play in Division 1 of the Westmorland Football Association League, without a playing surface to train and play matches on. The works carried out at the site since have allowed normal service to resume, with local football fixtures going ahead thanks to the drainage and resurfacing work.

The project was made possible thanks to £30,000 from the district council and a £50,000 grant from the Emergency Football Relief Fund – a scheme delivered by the Football Foundation that awarded grants to football facilities damaged as a result of Storm Desmond.

Doug Huggon, EDC's Leisure & Community Services Manager, said: “Without the significant financial funding contribution from the Emergency Football Relief Fund, it is unlikely that the King George V Field would have ever been in the condition it is now, allowing the club to resume training and matches from today.”