Bognor FC fire - Club assesses blaze damage

Insurance assessors have been at the site this week but the cost of the damage inflicted on the building by the arsonist who set light to it on Friday, August 15, is still unknown.

The time taken to build a replacement or rebuild the damaged shell has also yet to be worked out.

But it is clear the Blue Square South football club will be without the money-making facility for several months at least. The lack of a clubhouse could even last the whole of the season, which only began a fortnight ago.

Club general manager Jack Pearce said this week: "We had just put in a new carpet and flooring. We were making attempts to improve it as a facility and then this happens.

"We don't know if the building can be saved and that in itself is very sad. It has been there for 50-odd years and holds a lot of happy memories for a lot of people.

"It's a very important part of our income, both on matchdays and other nights when it's hired out. We've got the Pompey youth team playing here on Wednesday nights and that would have made it even more of an earner for us.

"The club is a hub for supporters after the game '“ something that's very important at this level of football," he continued.

"Now, they'll have nowhere to go after the final whistle, at least, nowhere in the ground. It's a club which has always had a lovely atmosphere.

"I don't know what we can do in the short term. You can talk about a marquee or a portable building but would they be secure and would they be geared up for the sort of pattern of trade we see on a matchday?"

He emphasised that any new building would be made available for everyone to use.

"A football club is a mainstay of a community," he stated.

"People with no interest in football will use our social club and, if we can get it back, it will benefit many people.

"The British are best in adversity, and I think that's true of Bognor FC too. This is a blow we could well have done without, but we won't let it beat us."

The clubhouse stands on its own behind the open terracing just inside the main entrance to the ground.

Mr Pearce was told about the blaze soon after firefighters arrived at the ground last Friday and became aware of the scale of the emergency. He said at the time: "To be honest I've had better ways to start the day rather than being woken up to come down here to this very unpleasant sight.

"But these things are sent to try us. The fire has taken out one side of the club house. Part of the roof has gone and there is so much smoke and water damage."