Footballer thanks Della for vital support

Published: 10:00 AM July 20, 2015

Updated: 8:58 PM October 27, 2020

Footballer Yannick Bolasie presents Della Hudson, of Hudson Accountants, with flowers for her support of Hallen FC. Also pictured are Terry Henderson, who offered his life savings to save the club, committee chairman Lee Fairman and Lee Dumble. - Credit: Archant

A Premier League footballer got pulses racing when he presented a Backwell businesswoman with flowers for helping to save an amateur football club.

Della Hudson, of Hudson Accountants, was given the bouquet by Crystal Palace player Yannick Bolasie for raising the profile of a campaign to save Hallen FC.

Members of the Bristol club were worried it would fold when the parish council said it could no longer afford to support it financially.

Hallen FC would have been liable for rent and repairs at its centre, which could have seen an increase in payments from £12,000 to £20,000 a year.

Bolasie, a former Bristol City player, urged his 65,000 Twitter followers to support a campaign to save the club and Della, who is a keen supporter of grassroots sports, also helped to raise awareness of the appeal, which led to 5,500 signatures on a petition.

Della said: “It’s not every day you get handed flowers by a Premier League footballer. I was happy to help the club, whose cause was close to my heart, and this thank you was lovely.”

The club has now been given a lifeline with the discovery of an agreement document allowing them to stay until 2020. Bosses are now in talks with the council and hope to renegotiate.