Didcot Town calls for earlier kick-offs to avoid floodlight costs

The club wants to kick-off earlier through the winter so it can avoid using floodlights

A football club worried about its energy bills has requested earlier kick-off times through the winter.

Didcot Town, who play in the Southern League, say their energy bill is expected to go up each month by £4,200 from £1,250 to £5,450.

The club has written an open letter to the Southern League asking to have the option to kick off earlier than 15:00.

It said not having to use the floodlights at the Loop Meadow Stadium could reduce its outgoings by 30%.

Club chairman John Bailey has called for earlier kick-off times

In the open letter the club's chair John Bailey and its vice chair, Paul Chalk said floodlights were "widely understood to be the largest contributor to energy usage for all football teams".

They added the anticipated energy bill increase was "categorically unsustainable for a club of our size, and anticipate many of the clubs in our associate leagues are going to be similarly affected".

The letter from the club also asked what strategy was in place "to support clubs that will without doubt find themselves in crisis with this coming season?"

Clubs in Scotland are looking at moving to earlier kick-off times.

The Southern League has been approached for comment.

The club said the floodlights were its biggest drain on electricity