A £150,000 makeover of Worthing's Woodside Road is getting fully underway after the Mackerel Men officially shut down their successful fundraising campaign.
The ‘Future's Bright' appeal on the Crowdfunder platform closed on Thursday with £47,255 in the bank, £4,255 more than the £43,000 the Isthmian League club needed to develop the Crucial Environmental Stadium.
Work is already underway to install new floodlights, build new changing rooms and revamp the North East corner of the ground with a new toilet block, bar, food facilities and modern turnstiles.
More than 400 fans, former players, businesses and organisations supported the two month long appeal and more than 250 of them are now looking forward to seeing their names engraved on a new ‘Wall of Fame' when it is completed this summer in time for the new season.
£47,255 raised. 406 supporters.
Our Crowdfunder campaign has come to an end, and what a journey it's been. We can't thank you all enough for the tremendous support we've received.#FuturesBright | #WeAreWorthing ??https://t.co/jjrngDtMDE
— Worthing FC (@WorthingFC) July 9, 2020
The Mackerel Men hailed everyone who'd donated in a statement in Thursday night after their expectations for the ambitious appeal were “absolutely blown out of the water”.
The club said: “Our target was ambitious, especially given the current climate, but any expectations we had were absolutely blown out of the water. Local businesses, supporters, current and former players, Sussex natives and even our rivals came together to achieve something special.
“Right from the word go we received an overwhelming amount of support, and it never seemed to slow down. In what was a whirlwind of a fortnight we achieved our target of £43,000, well ahead of schedule.
Given the enormous support we were still receiving, it felt only right to allow the full duration of the campaign to play out and give everyone ample time to get involved. By the end of the campaign we raised a massive £47,255 – an additional £4,255 more than our original target, raising funds for even more improvements.
Our best day was Monday 18th May, a day which saw us raise a staggering £7,720 in just 24 hours. The average pledge was £116, and we received many four figure donations from some generous and passionate people. £47,255 raised. 406 supporters. One football club with a very bright future.”
?? Our construction work is coming along nicely; out with the old, in with the new!#FuturesBright | #WeAreWorthing ?? pic.twitter.com/ZQS13Lku9Q
— Worthing FC (@WorthingFC) July 7, 2020
The Mackerel Men added: “Make no mistake, this is a massive achievement for the club and for the town. This will be remembered for a long time to come. From everyone at Worthing Football Club, thank you all for your fantastic support. We can't wait to see you all again at our new-and-improved home.”
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Images courtesy of The Non-League Paper & @WorthingFC/Twitter
