REDDITCH United have extended their thanks to staff and supporters after a power outage disrupted their game against Halesowen Town.
A power outage in the town saw kick-off delayed by almost an hour and left the Valley Stadium without functioning floodlights, till system and Wi-Fi.
The floodlights went out again at half time as Redditch reset main fuses which eventually restored the ground to full power.
This meant the game finished much later than scheduled and the club have now thanked staff and supporters for their patience.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw while Halesowen finished the game with 10-men as Tim Flowers took charge of the Reds at home for the first time.
The statement reads: “Following the events of last night’s epic game at The Valley Stadium, we would like to extend our sincere thanks and provide the following statement.
“Shortly before kick-off, a localised power outage affected the stadium, leaving us without electricity. Initial calls to the National Grid confirmed the issue, and an engineer was dispatched immediately.
“After discussions with match officials and both management teams, it was agreed that we would do everything possible to proceed with the match, delaying kick-off by up to an hour if necessary.
“During the outage, the stadium was left without lights, a functioning till system and Wi-Fi, leading to significant delays at the kiosks and the unfortunate closure of the kitchen. When power partially returned, it is believed that a surge tripped a safety breaker, meaning that we only had power to the floodlights.
“With the floodlights on, the game commenced approximately 45 minutes behind schedule. However, the main stand and kiosks remained without power due to a tripped phase of electricity.
“At half-time, we disabled the mains electricity incomer, which caused the floodlights to go off again. This allowed us to quickly assess the main fuses, identifying that a manual reset of the main breaker was required. Once completed, power was fully restored, and the ground returned to full operational status.
“We would like to express our immense gratitude to Bob Rankin, who assessed the initial situation, and to Marc at our electrical partner Griffin Electrics for his invaluable phone support. Our thanks also go to the National Grid engineer who arrived swiftly and was crucial in restoring power to the stadium.
“To our staff, who continued to serve under challenging circumstances, your efforts did not go unnoticed and were commended by those in attendance. Finally, we extend our heartfelt thanks to both sets of supporters for their patience and for keeping the atmosphere lively, even without power.
“What unfolded was another classic encounter, proving that good things truly come to those who wait.”
