A SPORTS club which was badly vandalised less than a year ago hosted two cup finals this week, after a refurbishment costing nearly £4,000.

Dugouts, advertising boards and fencing at Little Lever Sports Club in Mytham Road were damaged by yobs in September, just as the football season was getting under way.

Over the last eight months, the club has raised £3,800 to rebuild the dugouts and has new advertising boards and fencing installed.

One of the ways the club raised the money was by purchasing a select number of matchday tickets from Bolton Wanderers at a discounted price and selling them on, as part of its Club Together cashback scheme.

Under the scheme, for each ticket sold, £4 is awarded back to the organisation in a lump sum at the end of the season.

The club was subsequently chosen to host the prestigious Lancashire Amateur League’s first team cup final between Failsworth Dynamos and Prestwich on Saturday afternoon and the third team cup final between Rochdale St. Clements and Mostonians on Wednesday night.

Alec Bingham, the club’s chairman, said: “This is a big boost for the club and for Little Lever, as it will bring people to the village.

“The vandal attacks came at a big expense to our club. When you have to spend thousands of pounds repairing damage to advertising boards and dugouts, you don’t have the money to buy footballs and kits.

“I’m very pleased with the improvements we’ve made and I’m looking forward to next season.”

Barbara Goulding, treasurer of Little Lever Sports Club who has been a member for 30 years, said: “We couldn’t afford tradesman, so all the hard work has been done by our members. Without their generosity we would never have got this far.

“Hopefully, our new facilities will encourage more young people in the area to join the club.”

When the football season kicks off again in August, Little Lever Sports Club will have an additional three junior teams and, for the first time in its history, a ladies team.

Daniel Scott, Bolton Wanderers group sales executive, said: “Little Lever Sports Club is one of the biggest benefactors of our Club Together scheme. Over the last four seasons we have been able to award significant sums of money to Little Lever based on the tickets it has purchased.”