TWO football clubs which are raising cash for a community project will be left thousands of pounds poorer because of a blunder on their electricity bill.

Energy provider Eon – the multi-millon pound FA Cup sponsor – has hit Lawford’s football clubs with a demand for more than £3,500, which it neglected to charge them over the four years since 2003.

Last week, the Gazette reported how Lawford Lads and Lawford Juniors had, after more than 20 years, resolved their differences and come together to work on getting a new £300,000 pavilion built at School Lane.

Andy Rudd, Lawford Lads chairman, said the billing error was “shameful” and meant a big setback to the initiative.

“I am not refusing to pay – but what leaves a salty taste in the mouth is that Eon pays millions of pounds to sponsor the FA Cup, but they won’t help a grass roots club,” he said.

An Eon spokesman said: “We’ve looked into this matter and discovered that it was caused by the more expensive day and cheaper night-rates on the Economy Seven meter being switched around for a period of time.

“This has led to a debt on the account.

"As a gesture of goodwill to Lawford Football Club, we’ve reduced the amount owed by 25 per cent and offered the club a payment plan to repay the remainder over the next four years.”