WE’LL KEEP ON FIGHTING
Eaden defiant as Boro face liquidation
WITH the clock ticking on Nuneaton Borough’s future, manager Nicky Eaden is determined to fight to the bitter end as he looks to bring stability to the club on and off the pitch.
Eaden and his assistant Lee Fowler have been left in a desperate situation with the realisation that their players will not be paid at the end of the month unless an investor can come in and save the club from going under.
Effectively a rudderless ship – with no chairman or directors, and with players only being paid from cash generated from ticket sales and sponsorship deals – Boro now face the threat of being liquidated at the end of the month if fresh funds cannot be generated, with nothing for the administrators to even work with.
Previous chairman Lee Thorn had put the club up for sale at the back end of last season before selling their Liberty Way ground to Port Vale chairman Norman Smurthwaite and resigning his directorship of Boro Leisure Ltd at Companies House.
Concerns
Initially, the club’s debts were paid off and Boro’s short-term future was secured. But Under FA and League rules, Smurthwaite cannot have a say in the running of two football clubs and so calls for a new investor have been made, with Eaden holding out little hope that there will be a club or any players come the end of October.
“It’s week to week, and hand to mouth,” said Eaden. “There is no direction at the club. When Norman took over he didn’t have a plan and it needed a local businessman to come in and get involved, and that should have happened long ago.
“But now there are too many grey areas for prospective buyers. I have little confidence of anyone coming in now.”
Despite the off-field issues and long-running financial saga, Eaden and Fowler have overseen an improvement in results and performances of late. Victory over FC United two weeks ago lifted Boro from the bottom of National North after they had opened their account with a 1-0 win on the road at Curzon Ashton in early September.
Experienced midfielder Carl Baker joined the club from Coventry at the end of August and has brought a level of stability to an otherwise young squad Eaden and Fowler had to build from scratch following an exodus of players at the end of last season.
“I have been loyal to the players and we have all stuck together,” added Eaden “But we have had to trim back training now as you cannot expect the lads to travel two or three times a week when there is no guarantee they will be paid.
“Saying that, performances have been improving and the players deserve great credit for that; ironically it has brought the guys closer together and they want to fight for the cause.
“There are strong characters in that dressing room who want to go out and perform in the next game. We have looked competitive and we have kept going.
“It is gutting for me and Fowls. You feel like it is coming together, but these are circumstances that would test just about anybody.”