It's not easy anywhere running a non-league club!

[Dave Deacon]

Is this the harsh reality of running a Northern League club in 2016?

After Norton and Stockton Ancients resigned from the league [Division 2 - STEP 6] last month Adam Steel (Local sports writer for the Teeside based Evening Gazette looks at the problems facing clubs around Teesside

 

Norton's recent decision to resign from the Northern League citing a lack of finance and fan support was a blow for semi-professional football on Teesside, but it did not come as a complete surprise to some of the men who run Northern League clubs.

Adam Steel spoke to one current and one former Northern League chairman about the reality of running semi-pro teams in both divisions, and found that it’s hard going in the current financial climate.

With Peter Collinson as chairman, Marske [Northern League Division One - STEP 5) enjoyed success on and off the pitch and raised their profile.

They won the Northern League top flight title and League Cup and were one win away from the FA Cup first round proper when they lost at Southport in October 2013.

Collinson twice resigned his chairmanship of the club however - for the final time in September - due to health reasons and commitments running his own car business.

The 47-year-old sympathises with Norton chairman Mick Mulligan’s decision to resign the Ancients’ first team from the Northern League, and says it is understandable given the revenue and volunteer difficulties that non-league clubs face.

“The highs which we had at Marske over the past few years are what all clubs dream and hope for,” Collinson said.

“It brings in extra supporters, extra finances and publicity, which is a big booster for any club. But the reality for most non-league clubs is selling blind cards, raffle tickets, putting match day posters in shops, anything in a bid to raise an extra £20 here and there to pay for ground maintenance, expenses and keeping the club afloat with day-to-day bills."

 “It comes as no surprise that Mick Mulligan decided to resign Norton from the Northern League," Collinson adds.

“What Mick has done over the past 10 years at Norton is fantastic - it’s just a shame the community hasn’t supported the club at our level more and it has come to this. With Norton’s supporters in decline, a small number of volunteers to hand and lack of sponsors giving financial support, Mick had few other options in my opinion.”

Collinson hopes that more communities rally around and support non-league football clubs so that others do not have to make the same decision as Norton.

“Local communities now need to look at their clubs and ensure this doesn’t happen to them,” he added. That could range from sparing some time to volunteer, to businesses that could sponsor an advertising board. Let’s not lose any more teams at this level.”

 

Billingham Town [Northern League Division Two - STEP 6] chairman Peter Martin said Northern League clubs fight a constant battle to stay afloat, and he fears that it may be only a matter of time before others go under.

“I forecast in my programme notes last year that a few clubs would end up resigning from the Northern League, because there’s no money around at all,” Martin said.

“It’s bloody hard running a Northern League club now, and I can see more clubs resigning from the league either at the end of this season or next unfortunately. I would say it costs £1,000 a month to run our club, between £10,000 and £12,000 a year. I joke about packing in every week.

 We didn’t have any revenue for a fortnight recently because we were away, but the standing orders still need to be paid.”

Martin, 69, said second division Town have to “beg, steal and borrow” to get by, with local businesses generously dipping into their own pockets to help them after some of the club’s traditional revenue streams dried up.

“We used to have one or two nights booked every weekend in the clubhouse at one point, and we would do a lottery before the National Lottery came in where you could win £2,000 every week that would bring in £700 a week,” Martin said.

“But that’s all gone now, and players seem to be a lot more health conscious these days. You don’t get them staying on after matches now and having six or seven pints. Back when I used to play, you would leave the house at midday on a Saturday and wouldn’t get back until midnight. Our gate money for home games ranges from about £250-£300, but out of that you have to pay for officials and after-match hospitality.”

Following some lean years, things are looking up on and off the pitch for Town at the moment however with the team revitalised under Barry Oliver’s management.

“The big companies aren’t around like they used to be who we could get sponsorship from, like British Steel and ICI,” Martin said.

“But we are very lucky that independent businesses back us. Peter English Flooring from Billingham carpeted the whole clubhouse for us for free, and Brit-Cab provided a cabin for us about six years ago to sell hot food from. They are looking at doing a new storage one for us, and have sent a couple of lads over to paint the old one. Billingham Kitchens have just provided us with new units to put in our guest room as well, so we are very lucky in that respect. When Boro play at home, that also has an impact on us. When they’re away, we probably get 20 to 30 extra people down to watch us. But average crowds are up to about 140 and we are playing good attacking football at the moment."

Martin adds: “We’ve got good numbers travelling on the bus to our bigger away games.

“I’m going to step aside as chairman at the end of the year and become secretary, but the club is in a pretty good place. Barry has us playing well and he has got a lot of contacts.”

Martin thinks there should be a more even distribution of wealth in English football so that clubs around Northern League level find it easier to survive.

“It’s a pity that the money doesn’t filter down from the top level to the grassroots,” he added.

“There is plenty of Football Foundation money, but you have to fund half of it yourself. What happens if you want to make £100,000 of improvements to your pitch? Getting 50 grand together isn’t easy.”

[We Two]

Reference the final quote in that report, Football Foundation money can be matched by grants from other sources, and not wholly by the applicant.

[Dave Deacon]

44 minutes ago, We Two said:

Reference the final quote in that report, Football Foundation money can be matched by grants from other sources, and not wholly by the applicant.

So if a club wants to spend say £50k, are you saying they could get pretty much most of it by FF and other grant money and therefore having to put up very little themselves? 

[John Mead]

It could all be grant funded Dave - as long as it's not money which comes directly or indirectly from the National Lottery. Sport England allocate Lottery funds to the national bodies of different sports, including the FA, but it's not possible to have two bites of the cherry by applying to other non-sport funding bodies who receive lottery cash.

[Bobjfh]

FF money does not help to keep a club running - it can help,with developing stadia facilities such as changing rooms, showers etc., however the day to day expenses of a club fall well outside its remit. There are also numerous 'conditions', which whilst totally understandable, do place restrictions on what most clubs can approach the FF for - such as owning the land or having outlining planning permission for lights and/or community use. That said if any club has the right backing and supporters willing to do all the paperwork, money is available. 

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

Forget about FF, read the post again about the fall of in trade and player support.

That's the nitty gritty of running a club, the bills still come in whether you have an income stream or not - tough days.

[Martin Eddy]

If like us you play on a council pitch you stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea because we can never get national funding in any way because the council steadfastly refuse to give more than a rolling 12 month contract. Despite this we have had to spend thousands of our own money because success on the pitch dictates we must