A FUND-RAISER organised by Leamington players to cover the medical costs of their team-mate and defender James Mace recently passed the halfway mark to the £5,000 target.
Thirty-five-year-old Mace, who chalked up his 400th appearance for the club shortly before the sudden break in play in the National League North season, suffered a medial and anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) injury in Leamington’s 3-0 defeat to Guiseley in their last outing on March 7.
Tasked with a hefty medical bill, considering similar injuries to Connor Gudger and former fan favourite Colby Bishop cost in the region of £6,000 to £9,000, Mace has been helped significantly by the generosity of his team-mates and the public in greatly reducing the price of treatment.
At the time of writing, the total of £3,140 edges the stalwart ever closer to the necessary total required and would prove a significant weight lifted considering Mace’s loss of earnings as a tree surgeon.
To check the current status of the fund-raising effort and to donate, head to the official donation page at the following link by clicking here.
Meanwhile, the club remain in limbo as the outcome of the National League North campaign hangs in the balance.
Last week’s decision to cancel the football season at Step Three to Six of the non-League ladder spelled grave news for many grassroots fans, although the fate of the National League (Step One) and National League North/South (Step Two) is still to be decided and could well be affected by developments in the Football League and Premier League.
Currently, the suspension of the top two tiers of the semi-professional game is set to remain until April 30, although an update is expected in the coming weeks as the severity of the lockdown imposed on the United Kingdom becomes clearer.
Officials at the club remain in regular contact with authorities from the league, Football Association and other footballing bodies, while a ‘financial impact’ assessment has been carried out to assess the damage that the lack of income will spell for the Brakes – in addition to measures to work around this.
One of the biggest issues facing the Leamington board are player contracts due to end at the beginning of April or May, adding to a significant loss of revenue from match days at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium, with five home fixtures yet to be played of the club’s remaining ten games.
Should the campaign come to a premature end, the standings at present would spell a slight downturn in fortunes from a season previous, with Leamington currently 17th on 35 points – four places behind their finish of 13th last term.
