Fawley AFC see the light thanks to ExxonMobil funding

FAWLEY AFC can now kick off their season in style, following help from ExxonMobil Fawley to fix their substandard floodlights.

The Oilers play their home games at the Aliport Arena in the Sydenhams Wessex League Division One, on the old Esso Club site in Long Lane, Holbury.

Esso (part of ExxonMobil) owns the site and the facilities are shared by the Holbury Community Sports Association (HCSA).

League rules state that clubs playing in each step of the football pyramid must have a ground that meets certain criteria. In Fawley’s case, this includes having floodlights that pass a rigorous test every two years.

With time and finances against them, the club got in touch with ExxonMobil Fawley and they contributed £16,000, meeting about 80% of the cost of the new lights. These have now been installed in time for the start of the 2019/20 season.

Scott Johnston, Fawley AFC secretary, said: “This donation from ExxonMobil Fawley quite simply saved our football club and ensured we can remain in the league.”

“If we didn’t, we would not have a ground that met the criteria and we would not be eligible to play our home games in our league. We would have been relegated,”

“Our floodlights are over 10 years old and in the past three years have been very difficult to work with. The lights kept failing and, despite our best efforts and a lot of money being spent on trying to fix them, they continued to cause us major problems.”

“The verdict was simple; the only answer was to replace the lights and keep the stanchions. We cannot thank ExxonMobil enough.”