Kendal Town players and fans still stuck in Isle of Man after Storm Isha grounds flights home

  • Report by Isle of Man reporter Joshua Stokes

A non-league football team from Cumbria have been left stranded on the Isle of Man after their flight home was cancelled due to Storm Isha.

Kendal Town FC and more than 200 of their fans are stranded in Douglas, after their game against FC Isle of Man on Saturday.

Club officials have been told the next available flight back to Liverpool could be as far away as Thursday.

Club volunteer Elly Peacock is one of those stranded on the island. She said: "Selfishly I want to get back and see my kids, I've got two young ones at home, and I'm a bit soft, I've got two dogs, I want to see my dogs!

"I work for myself as well so I'm having to cancel work."

Chairman Michael O'Neill said the players and the staff are concerned for elderly supporters still stuck in Douglas.

"We're all worried for the ones who are on medication. The Isle of Man FA have been brilliant. They've made their club doctor available who's helping those people with medication needs to get them sorted.

"That's Kendal Town Football Club, everyone mucks in and makes it work, and we've tried to make the best of a very poor situation."

It's a waiting game for fans who are desperate to get home Credit: ITV Granada
Kendal Town football club sign manager Jimmy Marshall for another 18 months

Making the best of the situation is what many players and fans have done, as they descended on the island's pubs.

Paul Jarvis, a midfielder for Kendal Town spent Monday afternoon in the 1886 Bar and Grill in Douglas.

There he said the experience may put players off from travelling to the Isle of Man for future fixtures.

Kendal Town midfielder Paul Jarvis is looking forward to getting home to his family. Credit: ITV Granada

He said: "I was looking forward to coming out, it's a bit of novelty. to come out here and play. Whether I'll coming again next year is another story.

"I just think next year they'll be a bit more planning ahead. Me and a lot of the other lads who have got families are dying to get home. We're hoping to get back later today."

Michael O'Neill added: "We've got players who are self employed, we've got people who have full time jobs, people need to get home to wives and children.

"I think the players would be well within their rights to want some cast iron guarantees if we were to return next year."

The Mintcakes, as they're affectionately known, had travelled to Douglas to face FC Isle of Man for a league match on Saturday.

The cancellation of their flight home was the icing on a disappointing cake. They'd led their hosts for much of the game, and missed a penalty and a chance to kill the game, only for FC Isle of Man to equalise in the last minutes.

Kendal were also due to face Prestwich Heys on Tuesday night, but that game has now been postponed.

Easyjet have responded to the club's situation Credit: PA Images

Chairman Michael O'Neill said they'd been encouraged to use an app to rebook flights.

"We've travelled with some OAPs and some people with disabilities. They couldn't access the app quickly enough. All the spaces on the flights today and tomorrow were snapped up quickly., leaving us only with Wednesday or Thursday to return."

In a statement released on Monday, Easyjet said: "Storm Isha impacted all airlines' operations on Sunday 21 January unfortunately resulting in some diversions and cancellations including to and from the Isle of Man.

“We did all possible to minimise the impact on our customers, providing those on cancelled flights with options to rebook including on other airlines or receive a refund, as well as hotel accommodation and meals where required.

“The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”

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