A fire at Exeter City’s stadium has caused the club to postpone their League One match against Burton Albion on Saturday.
St James’ Park, Exeter’s home ground, was damaged last week after a fire broke out in several areas of the stadium.
More than five fire crews responded and took control of the late-night event.
Those affiliated with the club and residents in the surrounding area have since worked hard to repair the damage.
However, even a week after the fire, they have yet to make the stadium safe enough for fans to attend a game.
Exeter City confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that Saturday’s encounter against Burton Albion has been postponed following discussions with the Safety Advisory Group.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of club staff, volunteers and local businesses, we are unable to complete the extensive repairs required, or to carry out the essential safety testing needed to ensure all systems are operating safely for our supporters and players.”
The club clarified that the incident had harmed a number of “critical areas,” such as an emergency backup generator and the mains energy supply.
Additionally, the fire affected the St. James’ Park PA system, medical facilities, the control room, the big screen and pitchside boards, stadium switching equipment, and the ground’s internet network.
“Repair work will continue at pace as we aim to restore the stadium to full operation as quickly as possible,” the release stated.
“Everyone at Exeter City would like to express their gratitude to our amazing supporters for their steadfast support during this trying period. Together, we are more powerful.
“A new date for the fixture will be confirmed in due course, supporters are asked to wait until this is confirmed before asking for a refund.”
Creating money
To aid in repairs, the Exeter City Supporters’ Trust started a GoFundMe campaign shortly after the stadium fire.
Furthermore, Exeter supporters and other football enthusiasts have somehow contributed almost £44,000 as of six days after the occurrence.
The fundraiser’s description includes the following: “The funds will help with the potential removal and replacement of the buildings and equipment needed for match day operations.
Short-term cash is needed to pay these costs as well as a contingency amount for unforeseen expenses because of the insurance claim procedure and the timeframe for the insurance conclusion.
“All funds raised will be kept in a bank account designated specifically for this project by the Supporters Trust.”
“Every donation, big or small, will go directly towards ensuring that St James Park remains the pride of Exeter and that our club can continue to thrive.”
More damage from the fire
A fire devastated Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park a few days after the event at Exeter’s stadium.
On Monday night, firefighters responded to a fire at the ground, putting out the flames using two makeshift restrooms.
Fortunately, Plymouth’s stadium sustained little interior damage despite some external impact.
Since then, the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has declared that “the fire is believed to have been started deliberately.”
“We are now treating the incident as arson with CCTV provided to the police,” a spokeswoman told the BBC.
“We want to express our gratitude to the fire department for their amazing response, which limited the damage and arrived at the scene of the incident within three minutes of it beginning.
“The matter is now with the police, and we will be making no further comment.”
xz
