A grassroots football club in Leigh has been left “sad and frustrated” after a sign costing almost £200 was ripped from its entrance gates and stolen.
Atherleigh JFC, which was established in June 2025, said the theft was another setback for the self-funded club, which relies on its limited funds to provide opportunities for young players and support the local community.
Chairman Scott and vice-chairman Jason have been working to build the club since its launch, but say incidents like this threaten to put further pressure on its finances.
Club condemns theft as ‘absolutely disgraceful’
The club took to Facebook to condemn the incident, describing it as “absolutely disgraceful” and calling on those responsible to show more respect for the work carried out by its volunteers.
In the post, the club said: “The new sign we had made, which cost close to £200, has been ripped off the entrance gates and stolen. How is this acceptable?”
It added that the incident came amid existing concerns about the condition of its pitches, leaving those involved frustrated at having to spend time and money dealing with further problems.
Financial impact on new club
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Atherleigh JFC said: “It’s just sad more than anything that someone would do that to a grassroots junior football club.”
The club explained that, as a relatively new organisation, every penny raised goes towards running its activities and ensuring coaches, children and facilities have what they need.
“We are a new-ish club where all the funds we have count towards running the club and making sure we have everything in place for the coaches, kids and facilities and set backs like these unfortunately put us back,” a club representative said.
Scott and Jason have also made local councillor Dane Anderton aware of the theft, although the club confirmed it had not yet reported the incident to police.
CCTV considered but costly
Atherleigh JFC is now looking into the possibility of installing CCTV, but said the expense would create another financial burden.
“We’re looking into CCTV but again it’s a massive expense that we’ll have to cover because of whoever took it,” the club said.
The missing sign may appear to be a relatively small loss, but the club said the financial impact was significant for an organisation funding its own activities.
“May not seem a lot to others but as a self funded club unfortunately every pound counts,” it added.
Volunteers’ efforts undermined
In its Facebook post, the club highlighted the work that goes on behind the scenes to give young players opportunities to play football and develop their skills.
“Every penny matters at grassroots level, and money spent replacing stolen items is money that could have gone towards our players and the club,” it said.
The club also paid tribute to the volunteers who give up their time to keep it running, saying it was “incredibly frustrating and disheartening” to see their efforts undermined.
“Whoever is responsible, please have some respect. Behind this club are volunteers who give up their time, working hard to make things better for everyone involved,” the post continued.
“We shouldn’t have to keep dealing with this.”
Despite the setback, chairman Scott and vice-chairman Jason remain focused on helping Atherleigh JFC grow and providing a positive environment for its players and the wider community.
