Newcastle donate £15,000 to AFC Wimbledon to help repair flood-ruined pitch

What a fantastic gesture

The Magpies were supposed to play Wimbledon this evening at Plough Lane in the third round of the Carabao Cup, however, the match has been postponed after heavy rain led to the nearby River Wandle breaking its banks on Sunday night.

Subsequently, over 100,000 litres of water had to be pumped out from the pitch after the "entire stadium" was left under water, according to the club's managing director, James Woodwoof.

In a response to the major flooding, one Wombles fan, Graham Stacey, has set up a JustGiving page in the hope of raising funds to help Wimbledon repair the damage with a target of £100,000.

In a kind gesture of good will, their League Cup opponents, Newcastle, have pledged £15,000 to help the club reach their goal sooner.

Woodroof, said: "We are really thankful for all the support.

"It typifies the spirit of this football club, this relentless resilience and community spirit is extraordinary.

"Time after time this football club has defied naysayers. We have another obstacle in our path and I've no doubt we'll be back and I'm hopeful it's sooner rather than later."

So far Stacey has raised £60,000 towards his goal of fixing the pitch.

The Carabao Cup fixture will subsequently be played at St. James Park on 1 October.