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Players and bosses of an amateur Wigan football club are hoping that success on the pitch makes the headlines in future rather than yobbery from unwanted visitors.

For Standish St Wilfrid’s AFC is now the proud owner of a new CCTV system to ward off the vandals who have inflicted so much debilitating damage on it over the last two years.

Despairing manager Phil Ramsdale was ready for throwing the towel in after discovering that a newly-installed shower block, paid for through player subscriptions and fund-raising, had been trashed last month.

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CCTV is now operating at the Convent ground

Doors were kicked down, the roof torn off, plumbing wrenched out and (again) shattered glass and dog excrement scattered over the playing surface. Glue was even poured into door locks in what was the latest of a series of heartbreaking attacks on the otherwise idyllic Convent ground.

The repair bill was put at £3,500 but there was little point in replacing everything if it was just going to be targeted by louts again.

And yet, without those facilities, St Wilfrid’s, who have hardly lost all season, cannot rise further through the ranks.

But now the future looks brighter after a gift from Eric Wright Construction. The company had had been carrying out nearby footpath improvements over the winter and the club let it store its machinery on site.

The camera has the vandal-hit pitch at the Convent ground in its sights

The firm had its own CCTV to protect equipment and it came as little surprise that for the period it had cameras monitoring the area, there was no trouble. The latest attack came after the machinery and cameras had moved out.

But after reading Wigan Today articles about the latest damage spree, the firm offered to extend the car park and install CCTV which is now up and running.

Mr Ramsdale said: “It is fabulous that we now have these cameras which, hopefully, will keep trouble at bay.

"It is too late to get promoted this season but we can begin thinking about a tilt at it next year now, thanks to this generous present."

He also credited Wigan Today for profiling the club’s woes trouble which, in turn, led to the donation

Installing electricity would cost the club about £30,000, but these new cameras are run off a large battery that needs recharging every few days.

CCTV installed at vandal-plagued Wigan football club