WE WERE ONTO A NUN STARTER
NUNEATON Borough player-boss Kyle Storer admits staff and players of the Southern League Premier Central side knew it was only a matter of when, not if, time was called on their season.
Former boss and owner Jimmy Ginnelly announced his departure last week along with a string of key players including captain Scott McManus and strike pair Matt Stenson and former Reading frontman Leroy Lita.
And this week the club said it would be withdrawing from the league with liquidation being considered due to ‘insurmountable challenges’. Borough have been locked out of their Liberty Way stadium by the landlords since October, having to play home’ games at Stratford Town and Barwell.
Storer, who took charge of the side following Ginnelly’s exit, said the past few weeks had been really tough but that this week’s decision came as little surprise.
Speaking to The NLP, he said: “This has been coming for a while and to be honest we felt that it was only a matter of time, ever since we played what was called our last game over at Stratford (against Alvechurch on November 11).
Wringer
“It is a sad, sad day. Before I went into full-time football, Nuneaton was my club. When I signed for them they had actually just come out of liquidation and dropped down the levels to be called Nuneaton Town. So for it to happen twice in 15 or 16 years is tragic. It is such a big club.
“When they played down at Manor Park (former ground) the gates were incredible, sometimes up to 6,000. It just showed what the club means to people. It’s a big town and football is massive to a lot of those living in Nuneaton.
“This will be a big shock to the fans, they go through the wringer. It’s the fans that made the club so special – their edginess and their passion for the club.
“They made an unbelievable effort, staff took pay cuts and Ian Cook the vice chairman was paying people out of his own pocket in the end, taking money out of his pension. But that’s just not sustainable when you haven’t got your own club or stadium. As soon as the padlocks went on the gate then it was only a matter of time.
Madness
“The last two weeks as player/manager have been really tough – probably the worst two weeks of my life never mind my career. We had no staff at the club, players leaving, a transfer embargo and all the time you are trying to prepare for a game – both as a player and as a manager – trying to get three points.
“It’s been total madness. And that’s before you look at the amount of debt and not being able to get into the ground.
“The junior section that were affiliated to the club will have to go – so that’s 40 kids’ teams. The 16-19s academy is in partnership with CP Academy and will continue.
“It’s madness to think that six weeks ago we were talking about promotion and now we haven’t got a club.”
A statement released by the Nuneaton Borough Supporters Co-Operative this week said that two undisclosed investors were in the process of creating a ‘phoenix club’ and it is hoped that a fans’ forum will be held in the next fortnight to update supporters.