Friday’s game with Bury may have ended up a damp squib but it left a Great Harwood care home celebrating a win.

The postponement of Friday night’s match due to a waterlogged pitch meant that food for 100 hospitality guests was going to go to waste.

Emma and Will Gilmartin, who run the club-owned Crown Pub and were catering for the guests  at the Sports Bar at the Store First Stadium, didn’t want to see the food thrown away and so they got in touch with ardent Stanley fan John Timmins, who is managing director of Townfield and Coach House Care Home in Great Harwood.

And they sent the buffet-style tea to the home where the OAP’s happily munched their way through Saturday lunch-time – and maybe Saturday’s football matches!

“We didn’t want to just dispose of the food,” said Will Gilmartin, himself a Stanley fan. “We were thinking about what we could do with it and we thought of John as obviously we know him well as Stanley fans and the club are a close knit group.

“It was great to give it to such a deserving cause and, while it’s a shame the game didn’t go ahead, we are glad someone benefited from the postponed clash. It was a perfect match for them!”

Townfield and Coach House Care Home Manager Kath Howard said: “We are grateful to Stanley for generously  donating the food to the home.

“They were lovely, nice treats for all of our residents and it was unexpected.

“It was from their hospitality room so there was a dressed salmon as well as fudge cakes and cheesecake and everything that goes with it.

“It was a lovely idea on the club’s part. There are a lot of care homes out there and it’s nice that they selected us to donate the food to.

“I think there’s a lot of bad press around about care homes at the moment and it’s nice to have some good, positive feedback that the community does support us. I don’t think that the good homes get a chance to show how excellent the staff are. We are a good home and the residents thrive on our care and it’s nice to be recognised really.

“We’d like to say thanks very much to Stanley – you know where we are in the future!”