SHINERS BEEN TAKEN OFF IT!

Athletic forced to resign

CHAIRMAN Phil Bailey revealed South Normanton Athletic had been on the path to voluntary relegation even before the coronavirus crisis hit.

The Shiners, on course for their highest-ever finish when play was halted, now look set to step down two levels back to the Central Midlands League having resigned from the Midland Football League Premier Division last weekend.

But while the impact of the lockdown has reinforced the call, Bailey explained the Derbyshire outfit had already been pondering how to fund player wages to be competitive and find volunteers to run effectively at Step 5.

“I think it would have hapteers, anyway, purely and simply because of the finances,” Bailey said.

“It was getting harder and harder to fund player wages at this level. Sponsors were not as forthcoming as they had been and we were hard pushed to find the budget each season so that was one of the main reasons.

Bare bones

“Coronavirus hasn’t helped. We have lost thousands of pounds without the cup finals we host which would have gone towards funding next season.

“We will go again back down at Step 7 and have had confirmation of that (from the Central Midlands League) this week.

“The Midland Football League were very understanding, they knew the situation. If we changed our minds we would be welcomed back but unfortunately it comes down to finances.

“Gone are the days where players play for nothing – Selston play for free and have done well in recent years but struggled at this level.”

Asked whether a cash injection could prompt a U-turn, Bailey replied: “I don’t think so, not with knowing what it entails.

“We have had fewer volunpened people fall by the wayside and we have been down to the bare bones. It has become a grind running at Step 5.

“By going down we have the possibility of other volunteers coming on board because it will not cost people as much to be involved. We can get to most of the grounds in less than an hour.”

Investment

Travelling would almost certainly have been cut next season had the planned restructure of leagues at Steps 5 and 6, which is now set to be put back a year, gone ahead.

The timing is all the more frustrating for supporters as Athletic would have been bang in the middle of the proposed footprint for a new Step 5 division ran by the United Counties League.

“That could have made a difference, especially financially with more derbies,” Bailey added.

“I did think of that factor and put it to the committee but we still decided we wanted to start again at a lower level with the possibility of more investment to help redevelop and improve the facilities.

“That’s the idea for the future and the main focus. We will give it a couple of seasons and see where we go from there. We want to give something back to the community and move it forward again in a few years’ time.”