GEORGE MAKIN 'Walsall Advetiser'

10:30 - 31 May 2007

A Walsall football team have said they will be ready for the new season - despite a blaze gutting their club house.

Sporting Khalsa, the borough's only Asian football team, lost all of their trophies in the fire, which began in the early hours of Thursday, May 24.The blaze comes only two years after the club house was open and the club - which plays in the West Midlands Regional League - has only recently paid off the loan borrowed to build it.

Fire crews were called to the Mossley-based social club at the Abbey Park Stadium in Glastonbury Crescent, at 4am.

Despite their best efforts, the building used as a social area for functions and entertainment was gutted

But club secretary Manjit Gill said since the fire everybody was determined to be up and ready to play again when the new season starts in August.

He said: "We are really upset. We only bought the club house a couple of seasons ago and the worst part is that all our trophies were in there."

But he added there had already been offers of help from other clubs including premiership team Aston Villa, and recently promoted Walsall.

"We are having a meeting soon where we estimate it will cost us roughly £50,000 to replace the club house," he said.

"We are not put off by that and everyone is determined that we will be ready for the new season and that we will rebuild the club house."

"We are very grateful for all the offers of help we have received."