Worksop Town in trouble

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Booker4

Booker4

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I hope Linz and Foxy doesn't mind me posting on the main Blades board, but I thought this needed attention. Worksop Town are in desperate need of money to keep the club going - see statement. Money is hard to come buy at non-league level as we all know, its hard for most league clubs as well and what happened at Bury this season was so disappointing on so many counts to see a proud club like Bury, so important to their community, go under. I would hate to see this happen to a club near to us also, Wednesday aside - ha ha (joke, sort of).

So I thought it would be a great gesture from us Blades if we could give a few quid if we can spare it as I've just done. The just giving link is below. I'm nothing to do with Worksop or Worksop Town by the way, my closet link to Worksop was going out with a lass from Worksop for a a couple of years about 15 years ago!

Hope and pray that they stay afloat.


www.justgiving.com

Help raise £30000 to Save Worksop Town FC (4th oldest club in the world) – JustGiving Crowdfunding

Iʼm raising money to Save Worksop Town FC (4th oldest club in the world). Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.
www.justgiving.com
 

I hope they survive and I’m sure we’ll raise a decent amount but, and I don’t like being ‘that twat’, they’ve won promotion using money they didn’t have. Is that fair on the other clubs in that league who manage their finances properly?
 
Don't Handsworth FC play their home games there too?
 
As with all other clubs in financial distress, I have every sympathy with most people associated with Worksop, particularly the supporters. However, they have been mismanaged for a long time now and there are lots of serious issues under the surface.

As with all clubs in the pyramid, Worksop should have 'cut their cloth', particularly player salaries in recent years, in line with their revenue. Unfortunately, this wasn't done and the club now find themselves in a hole.

I hope the owners find a way out but, as harsh as it sounds, I won't be helping their bailout.
 
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Mouth of the South said:
As with all other clubs in financial distress, I have every sympathy with most people associated with Worksop, particularly the supporters. However, they have been mismanaged for a long time now and there are lots of serious issues under the surface.

As with all clubs in the pyramid, Worksop should 'cut their cloth', particularly player salaries in recent years, in line with their revenue. Unfortunately, this wasn't done and the club now find themselves in a hole.

I hope the owners find a way out but, as harsh as it sounds, I won't be helping their bailout.
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Yeah I've seen comments that suggest that there is more to this than meets the eye, I know a few wealthy locals have opted not to assist because this time next year it will be in a similar situation due to whats going on behind the scenes.
 
Just looking at their recent home attendances.

v. Sheffield FC - 404
v. Market Drayton - 285
v. Glossop - 419
v. Frickley - 309

There can't be much appetite locally for the team if fewer than 1% of the population of Worksop can be bothered to go to games.

I don't want any club to go to the wall, but it's primarily down to the local community to lead the drive to save their team. If the locals aren't bothered, what's the point in touting for thousands from Premier League footballers on Twitter?
 
Linz said:
Just looking at their recent home attendances.

v. Sheffield FC - 404
v. Market Drayton - 285
v. Glossop - 419
v. Frickley - 309

There can't be much appetite locally for the team if fewer than 1% of the population of Worksop can be bothered to go to games.

I don't want any club to go to the wall, but it's primarily down to the local community to lead the drive to save their team. If the locals aren't bothered, what's the point in touting for thousands from Premier League footballers on Twitter?
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Yeah if this was a story where a local group had taken over the club (similar to that of Portsmouth) then it'd be supported far more.
 
I've been to Worksop a few times over the years, easy to get to, decent ground, bar and programme shop, but unfortunately, like almost every non-league club the figures simply just don't stack up.

They've had financial issues for years this must be the 4th or 5th time they've been in trouble, Lee Westwood gave them a generous donation to help save them some years ago.

Sadly, when they lost the lease to the ground, the situation would only worsen. A number of ground shares wouldn't have helped

Instead of owners, with Parramore as tenants, the roles would be reversed.

Six years ago, the rent was going on towards £16,000 a year, (£550 a game) and with no visible intake on match days, (as tenants I'm not sure they even got the bar takings), and coupled with, the then chairman having thrown a wedge load of money in an attempt to get the club promoted to the conference North (Sixth Tier), it is alleged to have been in the region of over Half a million. The wage bill that season was £106,000 and that was said to be less than previous years.

I'm no maths expert, I'll leave others to work out the figures.

The local paper reported back in 2016, that the club would have been much better advised to forget the pipe dream of promotion up the football pyramid, and play local youngsters and concentrate on working out a deal to wrestle back the ownership of the lease in order to put the club on a firmer footing and secure the future of the club, because the path is was treading was fraught with danger, and that the path was heading towards a 'dead end'.
 
Fuck em ,I gave £200 to help bail them out 5 years ago ,now I find some twat has allegedly had it away with the clubs money again. I know someone on the inside ,the club is as corrupt as they come ,which is the reason they darent go to the cops. They do nothing for their junior teams ,have no stadium ,just wasters. Needs someone with a bit of clout to come and sort the place out if they want to survive.
 
Easy to talk about cutting cloth accordingly but I assume if we ended up close to admin or worse, we'd all just sit here and say 'we deserve what we get, tough luck if we go under'

No-one is forcing or shaming anyone into contributing.
 
Davalon said:
Easy to talk about cutting cloth accordingly but I assume if we ended up close to admin or worse, we'd all just sit here and say 'we deserve what we get, tough luck if we go under'
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Well no, I'm hoping as fans of our football team we'd be mobilising and trying to save our own club... not begging money off randoms on Twitter because you'd exhausted the goodwill in your hometown.

Happy for this thread to stay here and people can contribute all they want. But it's only fair for people to point out that the contributions will be (likely) disappearing into a black hole.
 
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Davalon said:
Easy to talk about cutting cloth accordingly but I assume if we ended up close to admin or worse, we'd all just sit here and say 'we deserve what we get, tough luck if we go under'

No-one is forcing or shaming anyone into contributing.
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4th or 5th time as Sharrow says ,they are taking the piss.
 

Linz said:
Well no, I'm hoping as fans of our football team we'd be mobilising and trying to save our club... not begging money off randoms on Twitter because you'd exhausted the goodwill in your hometown.

Happy for this thread to stay here and people can contribute all they want. But it's only fair for people to point out that the contributions will be disappearing into a black hole.
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Don't have a problem with people pointing out the corruption whatsoever. I know quite a few people who have played for Worksop in the last 20 years or so plus one former manager. I used to watch them occasionally and a friend ran their supporters club.

I'm well aware of the stuff that has gone on under various owners.

It's still a small club in a town full of United, Wendy, Forest, and Man Utd fans.

We know all too well the corrupt owners we've had over the last 30 years or so and how that has been even with our fanbase.

I just think it's easy to say fuck 'em when its another club.
 
Linz said:
Well no, I'm hoping as fans of our football team we'd be mobilising and trying to save our club... not begging money off randoms on Twitter because you'd exhausted the goodwill in your hometown.

Happy for this thread to stay here and people can contribute all they want. But it's only fair for people to point out that the contributions will be disappearing into a black hole.
Click to expand...

I didn't look into it too much Linz but thought it was worth a mention and of course people can make their own minds up as to whether they want to give a few quid or not. I mentioned Bury, and of course they were financially mismanaged, but ultimately its the fans of a club who suffer without a club. Players and staff will be also be affected and at the level that Worksop are at, some will no doubt be worried about paying bills etc. But I did notice that it said that Worksop had been there before. I haven't looked into whether that's because they haven't cut their cloth or not, but one thing I will say in defence of Worksop is that you mention less than 1% of people who live in Worksop attend their games. That is true, but on the other hand, because Worksop is so near to Sheffield I would guess that most people from Worksop attend United or Wednesday matches, maybe Notts Forest etc. also and Worksop FC are left with those that want to occasionally watch a game at that level just to see a game, and then they'll be a few die hards who go every week.

Working in Grimsby as I do, I know how smaller towns suffer greatly from people who won't watch football at that level, but will gladly support Man U etc. It drives me nuts to be honest, and I'm not even from Grimsby. Worksop will always be limited to low numbers because of its locality and the level they're at, but for non-league I don't think that they're bad figures at all.
 
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sitwell said:
Fuck em ,I gave £200 to help bail them out 5 years ago ,now I find some twat has allegedly had it away with the clubs money again. I know someone on the inside ,the club is as corrupt as they come ,which is the reason they darent go to the cops. They do nothing for their junior teams ,have no stadium ,just wasters. Needs someone with a bit of clout to come and sort the place out if they want to survive.
Click to expand...
Appeal has come at a bad time as well, given the recent death of Jordan Sinnott in Retford - that’s a more worthy cause for an appeal in my view.
 
Davalon said:
I just think it's easy to say fuck 'em when its another club.
Click to expand...

There has to be a point where the sympathy runs out though and this is one club in close enough proximity for people on here to be broadly aware of it being an ongoing issue. If a club isn't financially viable, rounding up random people to chuck a tenner at it every few years isn't going to fix anything.

Here's a potted history of the club gleaned from a quick Google:

2008 when they got kicked out of Sandy Lane: https://www.wittonalbion.co.uk/forum/other-football-news/20800-worksop-town

Thread from 2014 detailing some of their financial matters: http://nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum...ost_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;guest=332849801

Worksop Sack Manager For Setting Up Failed Academy As His Own Limited Company: http://www.thecfss.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=59609

Worksop Town secure their future following successful takeover (2018): https://www.thenonleaguefootballpap...e-their-future-following-successful-takeover/

I wish their fans good luck because it looks like they'll need it. But my money is staying firmly in my pocket.
 
I went on Saturday to watch Worksop v Sheffield fc. Good little ground with perhaps the biggest supported club in that division. Last season they got promoted and had a crowd of over 1600 against Penistone. This, when other teams get around 100. At that level, gate money counts for a lot more than it does higher up the pyramid and people who run the clubs are all volunteers. I don't know the reasons behind the problems, but it does seem to point towards mismanagement.
 
Linz said:
There has to be a point where the sympathy runs out though and this is one club in close enough proximity for people on here to be broadly aware of it being an ongoing issue. If a club isn't financially viable, rounding up random people to chuck a tenner at it every few years isn't going to fix anything.

Here's a potted history of the club gleaned from a quick Google:

2008 when they got kicked out of Sandy Lane: https://www.wittonalbion.co.uk/forum/other-football-news/20800-worksop-town

Thread from 2014 detailing some of their financial matters: http://nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum...ost_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25;guest=332849801

Worksop Sack Manager For Setting Up Failed Academy As His Own Limited Company: http://www.thecfss.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=59609

Worksop Town secure their future following successful takeover (2018): https://www.thenonleaguefootballpap...e-their-future-following-successful-takeover/

I wish their fans good luck because it looks like they'll need it. But my money is staying firmly in my pocket.
Click to expand...

That's fair enough Linz and I appreciate you leaving the post on the board. As I said, I'm nothing to do with Worksop, and often clubs in financial trouble are there in part or fully because of financial mismanagement. If this was Aston Villa for example pleading poverty I 'd be saying get stuffed! Some might argue that its merely a question of scale and that Worksop have overspent percentage wise beyond their means, what's the difference between that and Villa?

Quite honestly I can't be bothered reading the recent history to determine if they have overspent and if so to what extent! I know you'll understand that people can give nothing and be critical if they so chose, that's no problem to me as a Blade. But others may give a few quid and that's totally fine too. Hope they survive as I'm sure we all do, and if they've overspent than I hope they cut their cloth more accordingly in the future, assuming they survive.
 
Dkc said:
Don't Handsworth FC play their home games there too?
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The Sandy Lane ground is owned by Handsworth FC. The ground was originally owned by Worksop Town but it was sold to Worksop Parramore who merged with Handsworth to become Handsworth Parramore. The Parramore part was dropped very recently and is now just Handsworth FC that own the ground. Handsworth FC are the landlords.
 
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As a big supporter of non-league football in the area, I go to as many NL matches as I do United games (season ticket).

A couple of years back I almost got involved with one (was gonna sponsor them and also volunteer as a member in some way.

However I soon learned how the club was being run, and it was all in the self-interests of the man in charge and the club was in-fighting. Stayed well clear.

I love local non-league football, know a few players/managers from Stocksbridge, Hallam, Sheffield and so on. In fact I used to play with the current Worksop manager years ago, who is a good lad and a cracking player.

I would hate for any local club to fail. However, the mis-management of them is rife. Appeals like this are fine if there’s been genuine issues/bad luck but when the people in charge keep cocking your it’s hard to feel sympathy.
 
ghandi said:
The Sandy Lane ground is owned by Handsworth FC. The ground was originally owned by Worksop Town but it was sold to Worksop Parramore who merged with Handsworth to become Handsworth Parramore. The Parramore part was dropped very recently and is now just Handsworth FC that own the ground. Handsworth FC are the landlords.
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I think Bassetlaw Council own the Ground, from the Article

"Mr Peter Whitehead, owns the lease to Sandy Lane football ground"
 
As a former Worksopian it's sad to hear but not unexpected. I find the place to now be full of insular self-interest ducks.
So it's not surprising to hear a once great friendly club is being so foolishly treated. Apathy is at the root of corruption allowing the assholes to rip up any community.
Surely the FA can extend their process to deal with the Bury/ Boltons to include the clowns involved with this.
 
I really don’t know how non league clubs survive, they have limited income from meagre gate receipts and pay ridiculous sums of money to bang average footballers, as a business model it is just unsustainable.

Many clubs only survive off the ego and perceived reflected glory of some local business owner. But football on a local level is dying, the FA plough money into Women’s football while seemingly oblivious that the men’s amateur game. is sleepwalking toward obscurity. Where once there were ten leagues, now there are two and its the same story across the UK. So where there were 1400 lads playing regularly, now there are 280 which reduces the pool for the next level to choose from?

I’ve watched a lot of semi pro football, NEC, Northern Prem and Conference North the standard is pretty poor and some of the money being paid is ridiculous. I don’t know how some of them dare take their brown envelope tbh, but one things for sure, it can’t and won’t go on forever.
 

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