Breaking news: Rye clubhouse fire

The clubhouse used by Rye United Football Club and Rye Cricket Club has been ravaged by fire.

The Sidney Allnutt Pavilion, which dates back to 1957, is still standing at The Salts, but the damage sustained in the early hours of this morning (Saturday) is such that it won't be used again.

Rye CC uses the pavilion during the summer and has lost memorabilia such as team photographs dating all the way back to the 1890s and various trophies won over the years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Its second team fixture at home to Linden Park thirds in the East Sussex League today is still going ahead, albeit with makeshift changing facilities.

Rye United FC, which owns the pavilion, is playing all of its matches away until the cricket club's use of the ground ends next month anyway, but quite what will happen beyond that remains to be seen.

The pavilion has been broken into a number of times over the last year and a new spectator stand installed by Rye United earlier this month was damaged on its first night. Six-foot high security barriers were subsequently placed around it in the hope of preventing further problems.

See Friday's Rye Observer for the full article and further updates.

Related topics: