The home of Aldridge Rugby Club has been destroyed in a suspected arson attack today.

Firefighters from Aldridge, Walsall and Ladywood were called to Bourne Vale, Little Hardwick Road, at around 2.30am.

But the 52-year-old two-storey building that housed changing rooms, a club house and bar was already well alight. An investigation into how it started has been launched but club secretary Mike Halloran said he believed it was a deliberate attack.

“The whole building has been gutted,” he said.

“It’s a real shame. We have been spending the summer tidying it up and now this happens.

“It is very sad that for so little gain, they have caused so much damage. But the club will go on. It will be difficult, but we will manage.”

He said he didn’t think anything had been stolen from the club, but that it had caused thousands of pounds of damage.

The ground is also used by Erdington Star FC.

Steve Langham, from Aldridge Fire Station, said the ground was nowhere near any other properties, making it difficult to establish how the fire began.

“It was a nice little set-up there, but unfortunately it’s completely gutted now,” he said.

“Because it’s totally burned down and almost in the middle of nowhere, we really don’t know how it started.

“They had changing rooms and a nice club house, but I’m afraid there’s not much left now.”