A JUNIOR and Open Age football club with over 260 players has raised more than £5,000 to replace equipment that was cruelly stolen and burnt to ashes by "wrongens".

Gomersal & Cleckheaton Football Club had a shipping container full of vital equipment broken into and set on fire by a group of youths on Wednesday evening.

West Yorkshire Police was called to the container, which is at the pitches off Nibshaw Lane in Gomersal, at 8.10pm that night.

The club said items including, bibs, footballs, goals, poles and cones, were taken or burnt beyond use.

A spokesperson for police said a group of youths were reported to have fled the area and a number of footballs were later recovered from the scene.

Tony Emmott, who manages the U12s, said: "We were gutted.

"What happened that night is we'd seen kids messing about and giving us gyp, being cheeky to the police that turned up."

The club, which has 260 players across teams running from U6s to three Open Age sides, is entirely volunteer led and on a tight (not-for-profit) budget.

It plays in a number of locations and has equipment at other pitches, but this vandalism and theft has directly impacted two age groups (U10s and U12s), consisting of 50 children.

Mr Emmott said: "It's annoying because we spend all our time providing for local kids of the area and it's local youths from the area, suspected, that have done it.

"We'd let them come play football, if they liked.

"I lost a little bit of faith in humanity, there's absolutely nothing to gain from what they've done."

But the club, and Mr Emmott, have had that faith restored after seeing the response from the community.

The coach posted about the vandalism and theft on Facebook and was taken aback at people offering support and donations.

That was when the club decided to set-up a Just Giving page, as they had it confirmed the damage and stolen equipment would not be covered by their insurance.

The original target was £2,000 but, at the time of writing, the club has far surpassed that with a total of £5,170.

The donations have come from a variety of sources, including local residents and businesses, and other grassroots clubs, like newly-formed Wibsey AFC Juniors and Howden Clough JFC.

There was even a huge £500 donation from Leeds United Women FC.

Mr Emmott said: "We've raised £4,500 in about four hours, it makes you think, clearly it's a good community, it's just a couple of wrongens in the area.

"It's gone from a huge negative to a big positive because you realise people do really appreciate what the club does."

Despite the community rallying behind the club, the mindless vandalism may impact its future use of the pitches off Nibshaw Lane.

It would cost the club around £2,000 to replace the container and Mr Emmott fears the same yobs would just repeat their actions.

He said: "The shame is, the upsetting thing, we don't know whether we can return to the pitch."

But the coach is determined to remain upbeat and had a special message for those who had donated so far.

Mr Emmott said: "From me and the club, just thank you to local residents and local businesses.

"It really has been overwhelming the amount of support we've got."

West Yorkshire Police is continuing to investigate the matter.

Anyone who has information, or who saw the container being broken into, should contact Kirklees Police on 101, or using the contact options on the West Yorkshire Police website.

You should quote crime reference number: 13210328542.

Information can also be given anonymously to the independent Crimestoppers charity on: 0800 555 111.