During the Christmas period, with the Salvation Army brass bands on the streets we are often reminded to think of other people instead of thinking about ourselves, the lavish Christmas dinner and what presents we are expecting. In the footballing world, this sentiment reigns equally true and it’s fair to highlight some non-league clubs that are in real danger of going down the tube.
Stuck in a relegation battle in the Blue Square Bet Premier, Kettering Town have recently been put under a transfer embargo as they haven’t been paying the wages of their players. This has predictably led to many players leaving and in two of their games, they’ve only had thirteen players available. Kettering have also been recently locked out of their old ground, Rockingham Road. On the fact of it, this might not seem like a big issue but when you consider that the youth teams and the club shop are run from Rockingham, the magnitude of the issue is quickly realised. It is another marker that the club is heading south.
The chairman, Imraan Ladak has said that the financial problems stem from the non-payment of £150,000 from a sponsor. This is a ridiculous amount for a sponsor to give to any club at step five let alone one that has crowds dipping under the 1,000 mark. Somehow this all stinks of something that bulls produce.
Another financial problem that is causing issues is their move to Nene Park. Mr. Ladak assumed that crowds would increase and therefore sold off season tickets on the cheap leaving them with a big lump sum of money at the start of the season and no income now. Their former manager and now director Morrell Maison then spent all of it on players who’ve now left. Obviously with lower season ticket prices more fans who wouldn’t normally have bought one did, leaving match day revenue perilously low. Ladak has already said that crowds need to at least double before they can break even.
There have however been rumours of a takeover recently – one that seems to be led by Lee Thornem, the former commercial manager. Whether these rumours lie in fact remains to be seen but hopefully there will be a happier new year for Poppies fans.
Darlington have a stadium that is simply too big. Everyone can see it, everyone knows it and it’s destroying any chance they have of competing. They were just about viable in the Football League but with average crowds of around the 1,700; they aren’t in the Conference. They simply can’t service the debt for the 25,000 seater stadium built to soothe George Reynolds’ ego, and they will eventually have to leave it. Until they do their owner Raj Singh will continue to try and get investors to prop up Darlington. Unfortunately it is looking increasingly likely that unless there is a white knight on the horizon they won’t be able to resist another fall into administration.
Croydon Athletic look to be going under too, if they haven’t already. Ever since their previous owner got arrested and sentenced for his part in the cricket betting scandal they’ve been on a big downward spiral. Before then they were on an upward trajectory funded by dirty money so maybe it is a bit of karma in the footballing world.
As ever though, the blameless sufferers are the fans. At least this time the person responsible is actually getting his punishment, albeit for misadventure in a different sport.
The final nail in the coffin is being readied as the club are currently unable to fulfil fixtures having completely run out of money. This came after a £7,500 fine and a ten point deduction thanks to the actions of their previous owner, Mazhar Majeed and his financial irregularities.
He did in fact say that the only reason he bought the club was to launder money. I think it is true to say that if these had been highlighted earlier, and not come out after the News of the World’s story on cricket spot betting, then the club may have been saved.
Since this all came out the previous owner before Majeed, Dean Fisher has been imprisoned for stealing money from his previous employers, some of which he used to keep Croydon afloat.
Also the Danish website fodboldselskabet, which nearly bought Chester City in its death throes and also had a counter bid to use Chester’s stadium refused before it was given to the fans; bought a 51% share in the club in December 2010 but then folded in February, just three months later. This has meant that all shares currently are owned by Majeed’s sister-in-law who has said that the club, which is thousands of pounds of debt and bottom of the Ryman Division 1 South with just two points, is up for sale. Tempting.
Photo courtesy of Jon Hall.
