Club wants to share its promising future.
With thanks to Catherine Priestly and the Northern Echo.
A TOWN football club is enjoying a change in fortunes which it hopes to share with the community.
Spennymoor Town Football Club is performing well on and off the pitch since former Aston Villa footballer, Bradley Groves, took over as chairman during the summer, councillors heard on Tuesday November 3. The club has been gradually growing stronger since supporters teamed up with Evenwood Town to replace the town’s former club, Spennymoor United, which folded in 2005.
Vice chairman, Alan Courtney, told Spennymoor Town Council’s finance and general purposes committee that Mr Groves has transformed the club. The Brewery Field ground has been improved with further developments planned, including the rebuilding of a clubhouse. He said: “We are looking to the future with tremendous optimism.” The team is top of the Northern League, has ambitions of FA Vase glory and its home gate of 420 is the league’s second best average attendance.
The council had been invited to join the club’s new sponsorship scheme- the 100 Club- for £500. But members said that was not suitable as they could not accept benefits, including two free season tickets. Members considered donating the tickets to local children but heard the club plans to give away free junior match tickets via schools so it was unnecessary.
The instead agreed to pay £500 for an advertising board at the ground to promote the town hall and donate a £500 grant towards plans for better youth facilities and activities.
Mr Courtney said: “We want to hold after school clubs, healthy eating classes, we want to get involved with schools, run summer training for seven to 19-year-olds working with top professional coaches, we want Spennymoor Town FC to be an umbrella club for youth teams in the area.
“Next season we will have an under 18s team in a competitive league. “We hope to provide all the things the community wants in a sporting environment. “This will also hopefully feed into the senior team through an academy so our players are from the town, as a successful club needs success on the pitch.”
Coun Bill Waters said: “I think Spennymoor deserves a good football team, it uplifts the town if they are winners.”
Coun Kevin Thompson added: “The club looks to have a community spirit, they aren’t going to extend themselves so much they fail, there is a common sense with their fiscal arrangements so I feel confident about supporting them.”
And Coun Jim Graham said: “Its good to see the club in positive times, the youth activities and ambitions are especially good and worth supporting.”
