Millers chairman hails comic aid

Carlton Town’s Chairman Mick Garton reckons the Evo-Stik NPL First Division South side is more determined than ever to get over a raid that wrecked the Miller’s clubhouse after first team coach Alan Sewell helped raise £150 towards repairing the damage.

Generous Sewell won four VIP tickets to see comic Michael McIntyre tomorrow night [Thursday] at Nottingham’s Capital FM Arena in the summer at the Carlton Town Beer festival and handed them back at the weekend to help raise funds by auctioning them to the highest bidder.

The chairman said Sewell’s gesture added to a £500 donation by the local Rotary Club and fans who also raised £100. That means the Millers are now more than half way to covering an insurance excess bill of £1250 they were handed following a raid by thieves in August which left a scene of destruction at the Bill Stokfeld Stadium.

The club’s charity box was also stolen but the Chairman says it’s all about bouncing back now and not letting the raiders win thanks to the hard work and generosity of fans, the local community and coaching staff led by Sewell.

He said: "It was a lovely gesture from Soggy and we managed to get £150 for the four tickets which comes on top of the £500 donation from the Rotary Club and over £100 in supporters donations so we are over halfway to making up the excess of £1,250.

"The theft and destruction coming just months after the fire has been one of the most difficult things I have had to deal with in my years as Chairman and the paperwork in dealing with the insurance is a minefield in itself.

"Security upgrades are also required and we are talking to the council at the moment in the hope they will help us. They appreciate our role in the community so I’m fairly hopeful on that score but we still have much to do and the insurance claim could take weeks. You just have to get on with it or else they the raiders win and we can’t allow that to happen."