A FOOTBALL club's future is in crisis after its pavilion was destroyed by fire for the second time in six years.

Fire crews were called to the blaze at Cirencester United FC's pavilion in Four Acres, Chesterton Lane at 3.46am on Monday morning and the fire was eventually extinguished at 5.20am.

The pavilion, which contained the team's changing rooms and showers, has been plagued by vandalism and was burnt down six years ago. Since then the club has been unable to get the premises insured.

Police confirmed this week the blaze was being treated as a possible arson attack.

Club committee member Mark Payne told the Standard: "I have been over there and it has been completely gutted by fire. We are all devastated. We won't be able to do anything for a while.

"The problem is we didn't have any insurance for the pavilion because we could not get insured after the last time it was vandalised when kids set it on fire."

The club is now holding urgent crisis talks to secure a temporary home.

Mr Payne said: "In the Hellenic League that we play in you have to have certain facilities and the changing rooms have to be up to a certain standard so I don't know where we can go from here."

A spokesman from Gloucestershire fire and rescue told the Standard that the cause of the fire was unknown at this stage.

Police are treating the fire as suspicious after a car was set on fire 100 yards away from the pavilion in Kemble Drive around the same time.

The Daewoo Nexia, parked in a car park, was completely destroyed by the blaze and a nearby Renault 19 was also damaged by the flames.

Shortly after the car blaze, the pavilion was set on fire.

Sgt Garrett Gloyn told the Standard: "Given the proximity of the two incidents and the time frames we are treating the incidents as suspicious."