In a seven-day wrecking spree, the yobs managed to knock down over 70 yards of concrete wall around the pitch! They also tore down advertising signs on the main stand, and left burned beer cans and smashed bottles strewn across the ground.

The Welfare had to postpone its Christmas North Counties East Football League fixture against Winterton, because of the damage.

Committee members said they were "gutted" – and warned the club would CLOSE if the wrecking didn't stop.

A member, who asked not to be named, said: "There's over 30 years worth of hard work from volunteers gone into getting this club back up and running, but it has always been targeted for vandalism.

"But they keep wrecking everything – week in, week out – and there comes a point when we might not be able to continue any more.

"We're absolutely gutted. The club is struggling for funds as it is and this looks to be over £3,000 worth of damage. We could go the same way as the cricket club – which ended up closing because it couldn't take any more vandalism."

He went on: "The council is supplying some plastic fencing for the time being.

"We've had volunteers and players helping fix the damage throughout the Christmas holidays.

"The vandals did this on three separate occasions, and it is shattering coming back each time to find even more vandalism."

Other clubs using the pitch – including the Welfare U19s and Horse and Groom Sunday League side – may also have to find somewhere else to train and play.