Rugby club fundraiser in memory of former player under threat as travellers given temporary permission to stay on playing fields

A rugby club impacted by a travellers encampment arriving on council-owned playing fields in Dallam, fears it will not be able to hold a regular fundraising event in memory of a former player who tragically died.

Bank Quay Bulls ARLFC say they have already been impacted by the arrival of the illegal encampment on the Longshaw Street playing fields and now fear they won’t be able to hold a fund-raising event in memory of Alan ‘Bundy’ Clare, who died aged 34, after falling from a balcony in Spain in 2013 while on a stag do.

Kelly Cragg, Chairwoman at Bank Quay Bulls ARLFC, who believes Warrington Borough Council and Cheshire police should be doing more to move the travellers on, said: “We have children playing at our club from the 5-years-old old right though to 15-year-olds and after two years of no rugby or fundraising due to covid and the implication of the lockdowns etc we have long anticipated our return to normality within the club.

“We have now been halted again by the appearance of travellers hijacking our playing fields which has halted all rugby activity due to safeguarding concerns and this is the second time in just over a month where they have risked children’s safety by taking advantage of our training sessions and entering our pitches while our gates are open to allow the safe arrival and departure of children attending training.  They have been driving onto the field at speed so as not to be stopped from doing so but totally disregarding the heavy numbers of children present as they do so.

Kelly added: “This year on the 6th August would have seen the return of our annual “Bundy Day” our memorial fundraising event for a former player of ours, Alan “Bundy” Clare, who passed away while on holiday a few years ago. We hold this fundraising event in his honour and with his family’s full blessing and participation. He loved Bank Quay Bulls and we loved him. The return of Bundy Day after two years of not being able to hold the event was highly anticipated by all of our volunteers, players and our families and would be an excellent way to bring some joy and entertainment to the wider community too.
“However all of our event co-ordinators efforts may have been in vain due to the current encampment of the travelling community and the total lack of inaction from Warrington Borough Council & Cheshire Police. We may have to call this amazing event off should a resolution not be found and this will not only stunt our fundraising capabilities to provide much-needed equipment and kits for the children throughout the club but it would be another year of not being able to come together as a club and celebrate Alan “Bundy” Clare in the way we normally would and love to do so.

“I speak for all of our committee, volunteers, players and parents when I say that the frustration we feel is extremely high and we are finding it very challenging to feel hope that this matter will be dealt with quickly and effectively. We have long campaigned for our pitches to be fenced off and we are now also seeking preventive measures to stop these intrusions from happening in the future but this again comes at a cost to the club and isn’t going to be an overnight fix. We feel let down massively by the slow inaction of the council and feel that more could be done.”

The encampment arrived on the council owned Longshaw Street playing fields at Dallam on July and the group has temporarily been permitted to remain due to a medical issue; to be reviewed regularly.
Portable toilets have been provided in order to ensure public hygiene. This does not affect the progress of the legal process in any way.
It is one of three encampments currently inthe Warrington area.
The others are Great Sankey Parish field, Great Sankey which arrived on July 16 and the Parish Council has permitted the group of seven caravans to stay until end of July 24 and Peel Hall Park, Fearnhead. A Court hearing to be requested to remove 9 caravans which had previously been given temporary permission to remain due to health concerns.