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Irlam FC Support Emergency Services
Irlam FC played their part in supporting emergency services personnel working at
the scene of the gas explosion in Irlam on Tuesday of this week. The incident
took place a short distance from Irlam's Silver Street ground, and Secretary
Warren Dodd was contacted shortly after the explosion and asked to make the
ground available for the emergency services. Warren explained: "The explosion
happened at about 7.15 in the morning and it was a massive blast, everyone in
Irlam heard it and the ground shook. The blast was at a house about three rows
away from the club. If you go past our ground you are just about at the end of
Silver Street, and the road bends round to the left. About 200 yards down from
there is where the explosion took place. I was at work just finishing my
nightshift and I got a call from the police asking if I could get down to the
ground to open it up for them to use. I set off, and by the time I got near, the
police had already blocked roads off. I went through three different police
cordons, each one initially refusing to let me through until I explained why I
was there. Eventually I got as far as about 200-300 yards from the ground and I
was told to leave the car where it was and walk down to the ground. When I got
there the fire service had already cut the lock on the gates, and our car park
was full of vehicles from all the emergency services. After letting people know
who I was, I went into the ground and opened it up for everyone to use. Since
then, the rooms have been used for meetings, and the press conference that
people may have seen on television took place at the ground. The toilet
facilities at the ground are being used by everyone, although they don't need
the canteen facilities. The Salvation Army have a mobile tuck shop on site,
which apparently is something they always offer and put in place for incidents
such as this. As soon as it got dark, our floodlights were turned on to help
illuminate the area for all the people working there. Basically we as a club did
what we could to help, although we were not involved directly with the
operation."
Irlam FC played their part in supporting emergency services personnel working at
the scene of the gas explosion in Irlam on Tuesday of this week. The incident
took place a short distance from Irlam's Silver Street ground, and Secretary
Warren Dodd was contacted shortly after the explosion and asked to make the
ground available for the emergency services. Warren explained: "The explosion
happened at about 7.15 in the morning and it was a massive blast, everyone in
Irlam heard it and the ground shook. The blast was at a house about three rows
away from the club. If you go past our ground you are just about at the end of
Silver Street, and the road bends round to the left. About 200 yards down from
there is where the explosion took place. I was at work just finishing my
nightshift and I got a call from the police asking if I could get down to the
ground to open it up for them to use. I set off, and by the time I got near, the
police had already blocked roads off. I went through three different police
cordons, each one initially refusing to let me through until I explained why I
was there. Eventually I got as far as about 200-300 yards from the ground and I
was told to leave the car where it was and walk down to the ground. When I got
there the fire service had already cut the lock on the gates, and our car park
was full of vehicles from all the emergency services. After letting people know
who I was, I went into the ground and opened it up for everyone to use. Since
then, the rooms have been used for meetings, and the press conference that
people may have seen on television took place at the ground. The toilet
facilities at the ground are being used by everyone, although they don't need
the canteen facilities. The Salvation Army have a mobile tuck shop on site,
which apparently is something they always offer and put in place for incidents
such as this. As soon as it got dark, our floodlights were turned on to help
illuminate the area for all the people working there. Basically we as a club did
what we could to help, although we were not involved directly with the
operation."
