TIGHTEN THOSE PURSE STRINGS!
AS Mick Hucknall famously declared “Money’s Too Tight to Mention.” Indeed, it is a sad fact of life that many NonLeague clubs could end up simply in the red amidst the current climate of rapidly escalating energy prices.
Will clubs be able to pay their gas and electric bills? Is there a feeling that Saturday matches in the winter should kick-off early to avoid using costly floodlights? Also, will the upsurge in petrol prices affect travel to away games?
I’ve been chatting to a cross-section of clubs and one prominent league official this week to dissect these topics. Not surprisingly, I have discovered a labyrinth of growing concerns.
East Preston chairman Terry Doyle said: “Floodlit games are becoming increasingly expensive. Our lights were installed in 1997 and we estimate that they cost approximately £100 per game at current prices. Therefore
possible 2pm kick-offs in the winter would be a big cost saver. Our new electricity contract with an 80% increase was the best available. We were told that some energy companies refuse to quote for sports clubs because of bad debt worries.
“The rate rise for both gas and electric will also affect the running costs for our clubhouse. Coupled with large brewery price hikes, there are tough times ahead for us and many other NonLeague clubs.”
Pressure
Steve Richardson, chairman of 1874 Northwich, added: “Two o’clock kick-off times might not be a bad call from November to January. They would have to be feasible of course, depending on the distance for the away team to travel.
“Rising fuel costs are a big problem. Not just whether clubs can manage to pay
utility bills, but also the impact they may have on players’ wages as budgets are cut back to pay off-the-field bills.
“In addition, Non-League supporters will be affected when people see a decline in their disposable income due to the cost of living. This could potentially lead to less money through the gate for clubs and a reduction on secondary spend in the clubhouse etc.”
Ossett United chairman James Rogers agrees. He said:
“Budgets are already under severe pressure. Luckily at Ossett United we fixed our energy prices a few months before the price increase. “But we do worry what will happen when those fixed deals end. Energy and fuel form one of our larger expenditures and major rises will certainly have a big impact on our playing budget.” Witham Town secretary Mark Bundock feels that it would be fairly straightforward to alter kick-off times. He said: “In my experience, leagues leave it for the two teams to come to an agreement. If both clubs agree then leagues are happy. It usually has to be confirmed two weeks in advance because of notifying match officials.”
An alternative view on this comes from Petersfield Town manager Mark Summerhill. He is very much against the
idea of earlier kick-offs.
Anxiety
“The situation would be extremely difficult for a lot of my players who work on Saturday mornings,” he explained. “It’s a no win with that one. Yes, at 3pm floodlights cost money. But earlier matches would mean that my players could lose more in terms of reduced work.”
With energy prices a real source of anxiety, Worsbrough Bridge AFC chairman Mark Booth believes that NonLeague clubs can help football supporters who are tightening their purse strings.
He said: “More fans could attend local football as they will no longer be able to afford Premier League and Football League tickets and other matchday costs. So it will be interesting to see how many people start to watch NonLeague clubs instead of the professional game.
“Here in the Northern Counties East League, spectators can often pay a total of just £10 for admission, a programme, a pie and a pint. They won’t get that value for money at the pro clubs.”
With regard to rising petrol costs, the FA recently announced proposed changes to create a revamped structure in the south-west which will reduce travelling. This would see an amalgamation of the Western League and South West Peninsula League to create a new league comprising of two regionalised divisions at Step 5 along with three at Step 6.
SWPL secretary Phil Hiscox said: “Travelling at Step 5 in the south west is a huge factor in the restructuring proposals. Also, for individual players and match officials, it can be a consideration as to whether they can afford to take part at the best standard possible rather than at a lower but more regional level.”
In conclusion, it is clear that a devastating financial crisis could be hurtling towards our Non-League landscape. Clubs may well be forced to drastically cut costs such as players’ wages just to pay their energy bills and
survive.