A Great Harwood care home celebrated a win after an Accrington Stanley match was called off at short notice due to the weather.

Stanley were expecting a tasty Friday night home tie against local rivals Bury – but it had to be called off due to a badly waterlogged pitch.

The abandonment of the League Two match meant that food for 100 hospitality guests was going to go to waste.

Emma and Will Gilmartin, who run the club-owned Crown Pub and were catering for the guests at the Sports Bar at the Store First Stadium, did not want to see the food thrown away and so got in touch with ardent Reds fan John Timmins, managing director of Townfield and Coach House Care Home in Great Harwood.

And they sent the buffet-style tea to the home where the OAPs happily munched their way through Saturday lunchtime – and maybe Saturday’s football matches!

Will said: “We didn’t want to just dispose of the food.

“We were thinking about what we could do with it and we thought of John as obviously we know him well, as Stanley fans and the club are a close knit group.

“It was great to give it to such a deserving cause and, while it’s a shame the game didn’t go ahead, we are glad someone benefited from the postponed clash. It was a perfect match for them.”

Kath Howard, manager of Townfield and Coach House Care Home, said they were grateful to the club for generously donating the food.

She added: “They were lovely, nice treats for all of our residents and it was unexpected.

“It was from their hospitality room so there was a dressed salmon as well as fudge cakes and cheesecake and everything that goes with it.

“It was a lovely idea on the club’s part. There are a lot of care homes out there and it’s nice that they selected us to donate the food to.

“I think there’s a lot of bad press around about care homes at the moment and it’s nice to have some good, positive feedback that the community does support us.

“I don’t think that the good homes get a chance to show how excellent the staff are.

“We are a good home and the residents thrive on our care and it’s nice to be recognised really.

“We’d like to say thanks very much to Stanley – you know where we are in the future!”