A GWENT football club is taking emergency measures to ensure its next match is not cancelled because of a flooded pitch.

Officials at Welsh Premiership side Cwmbran Town AFC estimate the club has lost thousands of pounds from cancelling two home games in a month.

The biggest game of the season on December 28 had to be cancelled after the Cwmbran Stadium pitch was flooded.

Then Saturday's match against top of the table Rhyl had to be abandoned when the pitch was waterlogged, again after heavy showers.

Now the club has put the firm Brandon Hire on call to pump water from the pitch in case of more bad weather before this Saturday's fixture against Caersws.

Club chairman John Colley said the club could not afford another cancelled game.

"We can't just sit here and watch our matches being called off because of a little rain," said Mr Colley.

"All this is costing the club such an expense. No matter what, we have to play the game on Saturday, which is why we have taken this desperate measure.

"We struggle for cash from week to week without all this."

The club has prided itself on having one of the finest playing surfaces in Wales at Cwmbran stadium, with no games called off for nine years.

Originally the club thought the flooding might have been caused by a new 750,000 running track laid around the pitch.

There were problems with the track surface earlier this year that inspectors ruled could put athletes at risk of injury, and it had to be relaid.

But now club officials think that drainage problems could be to blame.

"We accept the track problems could be sheer coincidence," said Mr Colley.