A FOOTBALL club was raided by vandals on the night before a match.

Thieves stole a TV and beer from the clubhouse at Atherton Collieries FC, before causing £1,000 of damage.

They forced up a shutter on the clubhouse, and ransacked the inside in the Thursday night break-in at the Alder Street ground.

Club officials arrived on Friday morning to start preparations for last night's league match and were stunned to find the destruction that greeted them.

Crime scene investigators were at the scene yesterday to comb for footprints or fingerprints.

Club secretary Emil Anderson said his members would "rally round" but that they could have been working on improvements to the club rather than running repairs.

He said: "It is all relative but it is galling to us that this has been done at all.

"We have got a match on tonight and we are still going ahead.

"We are trying to make the best of it and it could have been a lot worse.

"It seems there has been a spate of these incidents in the town. What can you do? We can't guard the place 24/7.

Despite the break-in, last night's match between Atherton Colls and Barnton was played as planned, with Mr Anderson expecting a crowd of about 300 to help boost the coffers.

Mr Anderson said: "There is just no deterrent for these guys and we just have to accept it.

"It is going to cost us a fair few bob to repair the damage, probably about £1,000. At least they have not smashed the inside completely,.

"Our members will rally round but that's not the point.

"They could have been working on something positive for the club and some upgrades rather than running repairs."

A police spokesman said: "We were called to the ground at 9.27am to a call of a burglary.

"The porch window had been removed and the till, beers and some optics had been taken.

"Forensic officers were at the scene today combing it for fingerprints, footprints and anything else significant, and enquiries are ongoing.

"So far no arrests have been made."