Page 25 - RPVFC v Northwood 14.10.23
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RAYNES PARK VALE  23|24                                               UP THE VALE






                                                        Scunthorpe United is dependent
                                                        on this support that we have seen
                                                        throughout the past few weeks
                                                        continuing for many months and
                                                        years to come, through high times
                                                        and hopefully not so many low times.”
                                                        Sadly, not all clubs are as blessed as
                                                        Southend and Scunthorpe when it
                                                        comes to powerful fanbases and this
       AFTER months of uncertainty, angst   spiralled to the brink of abyss.  week it wasn’t such great news for
       and sheer agony at times, the long-  Protests have been held outside his   Step 4 Hamworthy United.
       suffering supporters of Southend   house, marches through the coastal   The Hammers have been hamstrung
       United and Scunthorpe United were   town before matches and games   since the closure of the only seated
       finally given some reason to cheer   even held up when toy rats were   stand at their County Ground home,
       last week.
                                thrown on the pitch in a desperate bid   the headquarters the club leases from
       Two proud, but horribly mistreated,   to get him to sell-up.  the Dorset FA, following a structural
       football clubs in the throes of crisis   Fan power also won the day 230   report in February this year.
       and teetering perilously on the brink   miles further up the east coast   An on-off deal to replace it was
       of non-existence, while generations   when a bumper crowd of 5,063   eventually struck and with a short-
       of fans lined the streets in a desperate
 Ever thought of volunteering to   attempt to force the boardroom   attended Scunthorpe United game   term groundshare at Weymouth
                                                        secured at the 11th hour, United got
                                with Brackley Town last Saturday to
       change necessary to keep their clubs
                                celebrate the dawn of a new era for
                                                        the green light to remain at Step 4 this
       alive.
                                the Iron.
                                                        season.
 help your local football club?  In Southend United’s case, it was   A takeover deal with former   However, with demolition work now
       about as serious as it could get.
                                commercial director Michelle Harness  paused following the discovery of
                                                        unexpected asbestos, officials felt
       A winding-up petition to the High
                                Hilton’s turbulent nine-month tenure
       Court over a £275,000 tax debt   finally brought an end to David   they had no choice than to quit the
       threatened to bring an end to the   in charge.   Southern League and pull the plug on
 There are many different volunteer roles in non-league football   Shrimpers’ 116-year history with   Hilton had replaced Peter Swann in   the first team to safeguard the club’s
                                                        long-term future.
       much maligned owner Ron Martin
                                the Glanford Park hotseat in January
 and Isthmian League football clubs need your help with them.  at the centre of the protests for his   amid an FA investigation. Last week,   “We didn’t want the club to go
       refusal to sell up.
                                he confirmed that he had withdrawn   bankrupt,” chairman Steve Mitchener
       But at 4.40pm last Tuesday afternoon,   his funding from the club and was   told us with the reserves now taking
 The Trident Leagues and Pitching In’s online Volunteer Hub  the loyal faithful finally got the news   actively trying to sell the club.  on first-team responsibilities in the
                                                        Step 7 Dorset Premier League.
 is the place where you can find opportunities and contact your  they had waited so long for after a   On Wednesday, however, it was   “I have been associated with the club
       three-man consortium of supporters,
                                announced that, despite a looming
 local football club.  led by Australian businessman Justin   eviction from Glanford Park, winding   for 51 years and despite our recent
       Rees, announced they had finally got
       the deal over the line.  up petitions, county court judgements  success, it is just so disappointing
                                and players and staff not being paid,
                                                        that we won’t have the opportunity
       “We can confirm that an agreement   Harness had agreed to take over a 75   to continue with a team that I felt was
 Please visit  for the sale of the club has been   per cent share of the club, while fans   capable of not only playing at this
                                                        level but achieving more.
                                did their bit by clubbing together to
       reached with a consortium led by
 Pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk   Justin Rees,” a club statement read.  raise more than £68,000 to help pay   “The decision was not taken lightly
                                the staff in their hour of need.
 to find out more  “We recognise that this has been a   Saturday’s game with Brackley   but we had to do this to preserve the
       stressful time for all associated with
                                                        club and the business.”
       the club. We would like to thank our   Town was emotional for another   At the end of the day, fan power
       staff for their incredible loyalty and   reason as Scunthorpe’s last at   played a massive part in rescuing
       also thank all our stakeholders for   their famous Glanford Park home   Southend and Scunthorpe from
       their patience.”         “for the foreseeable future” with a   oblivion, while Hamworthy weren’t
                                groundshare in place at Gainsborough
       Stressful is one way of putting it.              quite so fortunate.
       Indeed, as Judge Sebastian Prentis   Trinity 17 miles away.  As drastic and as sad as it was
       said when concluding at a previously   But Simon Elliott, who was on the   for Mitchener to pull the plug on
       adjourned winding up hearing “if   cusp of taking over from then-  the Hammers’ season, it’s a prime
       this were not a football club, with the   chairman Swann in December 2022   example of responsible club
       particular attachment to its fans, I   only for the deal to collapse prior   ownership, something that the
       would be winding them up today,”  to Hilton’s arrival, says talks were   higher-profile pair would have given
                                underway with landowner Swann.
       Martin, who took over the club in                anything for.
       1998, has been the target for all the   “Negotiations have already started,”
       fans’ ire for how the situation has   Elliott said. “The sustainability of
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