THIEVING vandals are forcing fed-up footballers away from their home with a ceaseless vendetta against an 85-year-old club.
Now hard-up Atherton Collieries FC members are prepared to stump up a reward to finally nail the yobs.
After the second break-in in a week Colls team-mates were left wondering if those responsible are the same louts who taunted Colls' players and officials during last week's North West Counties match with Flixton.
Fuming Atherton Collieries' FC chairman Steve Payne, frustrated by an endless stream of attacks on the clubhouse, says they need to turn the building in to a fortress or seek alternative accommodation away from the ground.
"There's nothing left to pinch," sighed Steve, after the latest raid on the Alder House ground -- the second in five days and the umpteenth in recent months.
"We're considering asking the council to turn the place in to a fortress, like they do with empty council houses.
"We have seriously thought about moving out of the clubhouse because of the break-ins."
In the latest attack an old television set, which Mr Payne had donated to the club, was stolen by thieves who broke in through the cellar. But hours before the midweek game with Flixton the club was broken into again and two bottles of liquor were stolen. Later that night during the match two young drunkards taunted Colls' players and fans then ran off.
Mr Payne said: "We are wondering whether it is somebody we have caught doing wrong in the past and that these are some sort of revenge attacks.
"With the poor winter we haven't done very well financially and need all the help we can get securing the building. Otherwise we will have to find alternative premises for meetings and social events. We just daren't leave anything at the ground. Somebody must know who is doing this -- who came home with a television or bottles of booze?"
Hard-hit Colls have been at Alder House since the first world war when the benevolent Fletcher Burrows mine owners donated the ground where the Colls have played since 1916.
"There's a lot of history here. This place is part of the town's heritage, it's a pity everyone doesn't treat it with the respect it deserves," lamented Steve.
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