Non-league football

[Paully]

Got a few canny players in - good to see! 
 

https://x.com/northshieldsfc/status/1741407933315867064?s=46&t=FsEm6VC2ijNnTjHjyXU7DA

[Wallsendmag]

44 minutes ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

They should 100% stick until the end of the season and make a decision then.

 

Sadly Gateshead won't amount to anything until they get their own stadium.

 

We were talking to a few York fans outside after the match on Boxing Day and every one of them said the same thing.

 

A totally miserable and soulless experience watching football there. Very hard to disagree with.

[Wallsendmag]

35 minutes ago, Paully said:

Got a few canny players in - good to see! 
 

https://x.com/northshieldsfc/status/1741407933315867064?s=46&t=FsEm6VC2ijNnTjHjyXU7DA

 

My mate is foaming with them. Chipped in £150 when they put the begging bowl out at the back end of last season. Said it was to be used for ground improvements (even though by that time it was far little, far too late). When they hit trouble a couple or months back apparently all the donators were told the money had been ring fenced and that it was still there ro be used on improving the ground. Apparently now it's all vanished.

 

As a club I'm very sceptical of North Shields. I know a lad who used to be on their committee a good while back when they won the Vase and he told me hands were constantly dipping into the money they had there, which at the time was a lot, with a run to Wembley and 500 crowds. He walked away in the end and took up a similar position at another club.

[Big Geordie]

38 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

My mate is foaming with them. Chipped in £150 when they put the begging bowl out at the back end of last season. Said it was to be used for ground improvements (even though by that time it was far little, far too late). When they hit trouble a couple or months back apparently all the donators were told the money had been ring fenced and that it was still there ro be used on improving the ground. Apparently now it's all vanished.

 

As a club I'm very sceptical of North Shields. I know a lad who used to be on their committee a good while back when they won the Vase and he told me hands were constantly dipping into the money they had there, which at the time was a lot, with a run to Wembley and 500 crowds. He walked away in the end and took up a similar position at another club.

I can only hope that the new board has got rid of the previous shite, along with the ex mackem chairman. I think a lot of folk will be waiting to see. I remain unconvinced.....

 

 

Edited December 31, 2023 by Big Geordie

[Wallsendmag]

24 minutes ago, Big Geordie said:

I can only hope that the new board has got rid of the previous shite, along with the ex mackem chairman. I think a lot of folk will be waiting to see. I remain unconvinced.....

 

 

 

 

They've lost a huge amount of support now. Crowds were nudging 500 not so long ago. Around 220/230 now and occasionally well below 200. Most of the "Ultras" don't bother now and my mate reckons even a lot of their diehards who were there during their Wearside League years now go along to watch Percy Main instead who are supposedly doing everything Shields weren't. Loads of ground improvements, and generally showing some ambition.

 

Shields had a great base to build from. A decent sized town, lots of keen sponsors, and a good support base and they blew it. You look at the likes of Heaton Stan there. Regularly pulling in 500+. Had almost 750 there against Benfield earlier in the season just because they put a bit of effort into running their club and the local community sees something worth getting behind and turns out to support.

 

They are everything Shields could have been. In fact Shields could have been more. It'll be interesting to see of many of their old fans go back now but generally when you lose supporters it's difficult to get them back.

[Stifler]

Aye loads of their support have left since last season. I’ve banged the drum for years now, but they have never had any ambition.

I was at the meeting the other night and put it to them to take card payments, someone pulled me to aside and said that they have asked for that for ages, but they won’t do it because it’s not as easy to dip your hands into the takings.

Even from that meeting there seems to be a lot of mistrust between the fans who are still going, and the people running it.

 

A local councillor was there saying that they need to be transparent and have some sort of business plan. They kind of disregarded her. She also said that they should register as a community interest organisation which would entitle them to more grants etc. Again it may mean that they have to open up a bit more, but they can apply for grants for staff etc, but they are not interested.

 

One fan was on about how the club house is never open outside of a matchday, and opening it up could mean you get people in buying pints etc throughout the week. He was saying how people go down to North Shields Athletics club house which is always open instead. They just seem dismissive.

They want the money but don’t want to do anything to get it.

[Wallsendmag]

Just before COVID hit they had a supporters meeting because they wanted to generate more cash. 3 supporters present offered to donate £10,000 to them. In return they only wanted transparency regarding the clubs accounts and where the 10k would be spent (I believe ground improvements were mentioned), and no say whatsoever in the running of the club or anything like that. The chairman told them he wasn't prepared to do that, yet they were in no position to knock back a gift of 10k, well not according to them anyway.

 

I'm quite a big supporter of non league football. In the past I've taken out a pitchside advertising board at Benfield, amongst other things, and player sponsorship at Heaton Stan. One club I would never touch was North Shields because instead of a donation I may as well have just asked the Chairman/committee where they wanted to go for a weekend jolly and just paid for that instead as that's what would have happened anyway.

 

Refusing any other payment than cash should set the alarm bells ringing. There's only hand car washes, selected Turkish barbers and North Shields FC that refuse point blank to accept any other payment method, and more than likely all for the same reasons.

[Miggys First Goal]

How much do you think it’d cost to take over North Shields?

[Stifler]

2 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

How much do you think it’d cost to take over North Shields?

Don’t know but as it stands the bank account is empty and they say they could get through until the end of the season, I doubt they will. They seem to think that they can get 1,000 people through the gates of their of their next home game, the games are on a Tuesday and Friday night. Unless Heaton bring a large following, which is one of the games they will play, then they stand no chance of that.

 

Right now, if you went in with about £50k, plus another £100k for ground improvements, I think you’d walk away with the club.

[Bizza]

 

[Stifler]

18 minutes ago, Bizza said:

 

Sounds like a desperate attempt to get fans through the gates rather than anything else.

[Optimistic Nut]

Did a good job at Gateshead.

[Paullow]

I was reading the Darlington Twitter replies and it seemed almost universally popular. Good luck to him.

[Yorkie]

3 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

Did a good job at Gateshead.

 

I thought he did okay at York too tbh. The National League tiers are obviously so hard to get out of and he very, very nearly had them promoted, only for COVID to curtail it and send Kings Lynn up on average points. Not totally sure where it all went wrong but there was a whole pile of shit going on off the pitch which I assume he couldn't keep a lid on; even his assistant got suspended for betting offences.

 

Seems a great bloke so I hope he does well.

[Dr.Spaceman]

5 hours ago, Stifler said:

Aye loads of their support have left since last season. I’ve banged the drum for years now, but they have never had any ambition.

I was at the meeting the other night and put it to them to take card payments, someone pulled me to aside and said that they have asked for that for ages, but they won’t do it because it’s not as easy to dip your hands into the takings.

Even from that meeting there seems to be a lot of mistrust between the fans who are still going, and the people running it.

 

A local councillor was there saying that they need to be transparent and have some sort of business plan. They kind of disregarded her. She also said that they should register as a community interest organisation which would entitle them to more grants etc. Again it may mean that they have to open up a bit more, but they can apply for grants for staff etc, but they are not interested.

 

One fan was on about how the club house is never open outside of a matchday, and opening it up could mean you get people in buying pints etc throughout the week. He was saying how people go down to North Shields Athletics club house which is always open instead. They just seem dismissive.

They want the money but don’t want to do anything to get it.

 

Got to be careful with that, I'm sure there's some issues around your revenue if you start actually making anything. Certain things you can't spend on as well. And it limits you to what you can apply for, as well as opening a few doors elsewhere.

 

The governance and all that bollocks you've got to sort is a pain, especially if being ran by volunteers.

 

Got to register with companies house and produce proper annual tax returns linked to community value and all that shite. It means they won't get much in the way of investment from outside as any potential investor will see little return.

 

I think there's also a mandatory law in the articles of association stating that you have to put some of the directors up for removal every year. Doesn't sound like a bad idea right now, but when you've got your shit together you'll start to attract more attention and you're vulnerable.

 

I think it might be a ridiculous process to reverse the whole thing too.

[Paullow]

 

[Stifler]

£7 to watch North Shields now.

£5 for concessions, and free for under 16’s attending with an adult.

 

Half price season tickets on offer for £60 for adults, and £40 for concessions.

[ponsaelius]

Marske have withdrawn from the NPL. Looks like they've saved themselves as a club at least - and will be able to restart at a lower level next year. Likely a return to the Northern League I'd imagine.

[Paully]

Nice little feature on Hebburn - I'm glad I was at a NUFC match as it was filmed on a Sunday and that's our Sunday team featured on a few clips so you'd see me probably still steaming from the night before and headlocking Jill Scott! 

 

 

https://fb.watch/pmoQxrCwW_/

[Optimistic Nut]

Gateshead seem to be losing players left, right & centre through injuries, loans being recalled, contracts ending. Can see their Play-Off challenge disappearing if they don't recruit a few. 

[Paully]

Absolutely brilliant article this albeit a sad read too;

 

https://true-faith.co.uk/the-grass-roots-football-crisis/

[Jinky]

47 minutes ago, Paully said:

Absolutely brilliant article this albeit a sad read too;

 

https://true-faith.co.uk/the-grass-roots-football-crisis/

 

Excellent article. Its not just in the North East though...........Down in the South West, a team that I have followed for 13 years eventually qualified for promotion (This is a club that once scaled the non-league heights). Despite having a massive stand and great heritage, after all the effort and fan loyalty, after a ground inspection, they were refused promotion......(Because the covered lineside benches weren't big enough!!!!!!!). The stand has now been demolished, the team further relegated and attendances under 50.

 

I am told that the ground requirements for promoted teams are now so rigorous, that even if they get into the same position again, there is now zero chance that they'd be allowed to go up.

 

Utterly depressing......

 

 

[Paully]

2 minutes ago, Jinky said:

 

Excellent article. Its not just in the North East though...........Down in the South West, a team that I have followed for 13 years eventually qualified for promotion (This is a club that once scaled the non-league heights). Despite having a massive stand and great heritage, after all the effort and fan loyalty, after a ground inspection, they were refused promotion......(Because the covered lineside benches weren't big enough!!!!!!!). The stand has now been demolished, the team further relegated and attendances under 50.

 

I am told that the ground requirements for promoted teams are now so rigorous, that even if they get into the same position again, there is now zero chance that they'd be allowed to go up.

 

Utterly depressing......

 

 

 

That's a disgrace that - the whole ground requirements at non-league levels is beyond a joke

[Big Geordie]

2 minutes ago, Paully said:

 

That's a disgrace that - the whole ground requirements at non-league levels is beyond a joke

 

When I went to a few Shields games last season - was told that they had visited grounds far worse than  The Morgue and yet these other clubs seemed to get away with it, whilst Shields got the hammer. Mind we all know there's something very dodgy been going on at Shields  - echos of what happened at Bedlington Terriers, 20 years ago.....

[Jinky]

10 minutes ago, Big Geordie said:

 

When I went to a few Shields games last season - was told that they had visited grounds far worse than  The Morgue and yet these other clubs seemed to get away with it, whilst Shields got the hammer. Mind we all know there's something very dodgy been going on at Shields  - echos of what happened at Bedlington Terriers, 20 years ago.....

 

The problems only seem to emerge when promotion is on offer........thats when the 'Officials' (Jobsworths) have clubs over a barrel.