Llanfairfechan Town Football Club is ready for the new season after Wales & West Utilities resurfaced its pitch to say thank you for their support in completing essential work on the town’s gas network.

Wales & West Utilities had been working in the area for two months to make sure the gas keeps flowing to heat homes and power businesses and prepare the gas network for the future. As part of this work a pipe crossing the Afon Llanfairfechan, which runs alongside the football ground, had to be upgraded.

To do this safely, the company needed access through the club’s grounds and they were very accommodating. The work was completed outside of the football season, but when the club appealed for help in resurfacing their pitch, Wales & West Utilities stepped up to the mark.

Wales & West Utilities Area Business Manager, Steve Watts,said: “We really appreciate the support of Llanfairfechan Town Football Club while we’ve done this essential work. We needed access through their land to complete this essential work.

“The club officials were very accommodating, helping us do our work as safely and as quickly as possible. So when we heard they needed top-soil to resurface their goalmouths, we were happy to help to say ‘thank-you’.

“We wish them all the best and hope they get off to a good start to the season!”

Llanfairfechan Town Football Club’s chairman, Marc Shepherd, has spent time diving around the pitch as goalkeeper for their various team and now looks at the surface with some envy.

He said: “Thanks to Wales & West Utilities, the goalmouths are going to be in a lot better condition than when I played in them. The gesture is going to make a big difference to a club like ours.”

Run by the community for players as young as six, Marc estimates the work would have cost the club the best part of £1,000 to complete.

“They were so quick to offer their help when we put the appeal out. We met one week and the soil was down the following week. We operate on a not-for-profit basis and money’s tight when you’re buying kit and training equipment and so getting an improvement like this is a luxury to be honest.”

Runners up of the Vale of Clwyd & Conwy Premier Division League last season all that remains now is for Llanfairfechan Town to celebrate their new pitch with another successful campaign for promotion.