WATCH: Fans to sit on piece of Olympic history
Tividale Football Club's battle to improve their ground to meet league standards has been helped by the arrival of a batch of seats used in the London Olympics.
In the coming weeks, a total of 190 yellow plastic seats will be fitted into the main stand at The Beeches ground, as the club embarks on a race against time to improve facilities at the stadium.
Tividale, who currently sit 14th in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League First Division South, have been told by league bosses they need to upgrade the ground by the end of March.
This includes fitting new seating in the New Birmingham Road stand to help increase ground capacity to 1,300. An army of volunteers have already helped to install new turnstiles and changing rooms at the ground on Packwood Road.
A new standing area is planned for the Birch Terrace part of the stadium ahead of the start of the 2015/16 campaign.
Club treasurer Richard Harrison said Tividale's secretary Leon Murray contacted bosses at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park when he found out they were offloading yellow seats – a perfect match for the team's predominantly yellow strip.
The seating was used in the London Aquatics Centre, which hosted the Olympics swimming and diving events in 2012.
"We're not a rich club by any stretch of the imagination," said Mr Harrison.
"Grass-roots football is in bad shape at the moment and it is a constant battle to stay afloat.
"Everybody here who is working to improve the facilities is doing so on a voluntary basis, so we are extremely grateful to the people at the Olympic Park for letting us have the seats.
"They were originally used around the Olympic swimming pool, but the fact that they are yellow makes them a perfect match for Tividale."
Mr Murray said: "I would like to place on record my thanks to the staff at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for their co-operation.
"These seats are a massive step in the right direction for us as we aim to improve our facilities."
Tividale, who were formed in 1954, have been based at Packwood Road since 1974. The club was promoted from the Midland Alliance last season after winning the league and cup double.
Anyone who is interested in sponsoring the club or who may be able to help fit the new seats can call Mr Harrison on 07504 989387.
