Carlisle United’s players returned to Cumbria from Sunday’s FA Cup win at Welling to find the Brunton Park pitch submerged beneath eight feet of water and some of their cars swept away by the area’s worst floods for 30 years.
Their response has been to see what they can do to help a local community in which many residents of homes near Brunton Park have had to be evacuated.
Accordingly after training on Tuesday morning members of Keith Curle’s League Two squad will be criss-crossing the city distributing food, water and blankets to those most affected.
“The players are keen to get out there,” said Curle. “We’ll be setting time aside to get around and do whatever it takes to help make things easier for people who have suffered through this horrid situation.”
On a day when water nearly reached the crossbars on the pitch, club officials were unable to access Brunton Park to assess the damage as the emergency services prioritised the need to help local residents.
This means Carlisle have temporarily suspended ticket and hospitality sales for home and away fixtures. Curle’s side are at Oxford this weekend and are not due to play in Cumbria again until Notts County’s scheduled visit to Brunton Park on 19 December.
While club officials await permission to return to the ground, the squad hope to be able to train as normal at their weekday practice base which appears to have escaped the worst of the weather.
