Page 24 - RPVFC v Northwood 14.10.23 Result 1:0
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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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