Budleigh Salterton Football Club are looking forward to playing matches under new floodlights following a donation by the town council.

Councillors agreed to a £15,000 donation towards upgrading the floodlights which had become unfit for purpose. A grant has also come from the FC Community Fund.

As well as allowing the football club to continue playing night time fixtures, the Greenway Lane venue also acts as a community landing site for Devon Air Ambulance, so the lifesaving service will also benefit.

Keith Wood, secretary of BSFC, said: “The lights will allow football to continue at the club for many years along with the club providing the emergency landing site for the Devon Air Ambulance.

“The last set of lights lasted some 20 years, unfortunately the sea air and birds had taken its toll on the old lights and rendered two completely unsafe to use.

“With the help of the town council and the FA the club has also acquired the hydraulic jack that lifts the whole pylon to the floor, and so the lights can be lowered and cleaned periodically which should prolong the life of the floodlights.

“This has been a very difficult year for everyone involved with the club, with absolutely no income at present and very little during the summer the clubs officers have had to search every avenue to try and bring some income to the club so that suppliers, utilities could be paid.”

The resumption of football fixtures at Greenway Lane will bring more challenges for the club according to Mr Wood, as it need to find money to run its five football teams, officials and pay for ground maintenance.

Mr Wood added: “Having teams arriving at Greenway Lane and not being able to share the great facilities that the club provides to local football is a very difficult situation for everyone involved in the football at the club.

“The hope that the current pandemic may be eased in the coming months and Devon can drop to tier 1 and then the clubhouse can reopen to welcome everyone back to Greenway Lane.”