FARNHAM United Football Club, which has provided grass-roots football in the community for more than 40 years, is taking on Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower to help replace damaged equipment after ­their grounds were broken into last year.

The club has worked with the police youth offending unit to help local children overcome adversity through football, and continue to support children in the community from less fortunate backgrounds by funding membership fees to ensure they too have the opportunity to play, be part of a team and thrive in sport.

However last season their land, at Monkton Lane Sports Ground, was broken into causing significant damage to the pitches, entrance and equipment.

“From memory we had approximately 14 caravans on site that had broken into our locked ground,” said Mark Fessey, club secretary.

“I worked with Surrey Police and Waverley Borough Council to get them evicted, an eviction notice was served and shortly before the notice came into affect these travellers vacated the ground and went to Weybourne Recreation, saving the authorities from having to physically remove them from our ground but leaving us with damaged pitches, goals and store room.

“Not to mention a vast amount of rubbish from their hedge cutting and house clearance jobs that they dumped in our ground. I believe we were the first club to be broken into and vandalised in this area.”

In an attempt to raise the much-needed funds to recover the loss, Ben Roseveare, chairman and Tom O’Connor, treasurer of Farnham United, are going to abseil 300 ft down the Spinnaker Tower.