A football club which has previously relied on crowdfunding to provide much needed income has again asked fans for monetary support during a time when money is tight for many members of the public.
Newly rebranded club Nuneaton Town who operated last season as Nuneaton Borough before “insurmountable challenges in maintaining operations” saw them unable to continue trading reported the BBC.
Nuneaton Borough had to withdraw from the Southern League Premier Division Central league as a result of the turmoil.
They were evicted from their ground Liberty Way Stadium late last year, (2023) due to rent arrears dating back to 2019, reported the Football Ground Guide.
“Nuneaton Borough struggled to keep up with their rent payments, largely due to the impact of the Covid pandemic and the lack of gate receipts,” said a quote from the above article.
The BBC reported that the club reformed in April as Nuneaton Town and are now part-owned by fans as they prepare to compete in the Midland Football League Division One by using Bedworth United’s pitch.
In January 2023 — in a move that generated some criticism, Nuneaton Borough launched the ‘Promotion push, boost the budget’ crowdfund campaign at a time when the club is believed to have already been in rental arrears.
For £5,000, a donor would have had the naming rights to the stadium according to the crowd funding campaign which could have proven problematic given that the club were later evicted from the premises.
The purpose of this fund was clearly to push for promotion on the pitch and to ensure that money was available for the club’s playing budget.
“We are aiming to Boost The Budget for our promotion push,” read the club’s statement on the Crowd Funder website which aimed for £25,000 to be raised. “Any monies raised will go directly to the playing budget.”
“The priority in our club’s Vision, is sustainable success on the pitch.
“That’s why we want to launch Boost the Budget now – allowing Jimmy and Andy, the opportunity to adjust their squad for the second half of the season and be able to afford to bring in the right players they believe they need to allow for exciting football and winning ways.
“Every penny raised by the Crowdfunder will go to spending on the playing budget.
“We’re not the first to go down this route, others have done so, with great success in moving their club in the right direction.
“Obviously, the benefits of success are not just limited to promotion this season.
“But football is a huge driver in the clubs sustainability, and a winning team has already created such an exciting buzz around the Town.
“Which in turn has driven larger attendances and increase our profile to potential sponsors.
“From this scheme, we hope a successful promotion campaign will follow!
“All donors will receive an invite to our end of season (promotion) party!”
Due to the situation the club found itself in, there was no promotion party and the club found itself facing liquidation.
Other reward opportunities for donating included offers such as training with the team for £100 and a “60 minute talk with the management team to talk tactics, training regimes and transfers” which required a £150 donation and was limited to 20 participants.
At the time of writing, that campaign had fallen short of the desired £25k and was sitting at £5,376.
This time around, the club has said that the latest crowd funding campaign was for upfront costs including kit, physio equipment, training venue hire, legal fees, insurance, FA and League affiliation.
The club’s business partners have already pledged £6,000 to help with the costs of setting up the football club and a spokesperson said they want to match that figure with donations from fans and the community.
On its fundraising page, the club said it needed to raise money as “without our own ground, we lose out on revenue streams usually generated by home games.”
“As a community-focused club, we want supporters and the wider community to be at the heart of everything we do and play a meaningful role in the club’s development.”
Nuneaton Town FC was officially formed in April 2024 by a Steering Group made up of fans and business partners that previously supported Nuneaton Borough FC, who withdrew from the Southern League in January 2024.
“Nuneaton Borough Supporters’ Co-Operative is a community benefit society whose aim is to represent the views of Nuneaton Town supporters and to play an active role in decision-making and the running of the football club,” said a club spokesman.
“This will be done to ensure that the club has a sustainable ethos centered around the local community.
“Our community impact so far includes forming a partnership with Nuneaton Borough Juniors and Ladies FC, leading to us achieving 2-star accreditation with England Football (which replaces the FA Charter Standard) and supporting Nuneaton Carnival.
“We look forward to increasing our community initiatives as the club grows and develops.”
The crowd funding campaign is now live.
“We hope that you are able to support us as we strive to build a football club that the town can be proud of,” added the spokesman.
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