Northwich Victoria

[cornishteddyboy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16620964

[MOUNTAINEER]

I often attended games at the original Northwich Victoria ground, I was amazed when it was sold for development in 2002, after all it was the oldest Football Ground in the world a fact never exploited to raise funds, no one at Northwich appeared to care about the history and preserving it, yes it was a bit tumbled down but through it's ugliness a character shone through, It is sad that a club with such a long history faces extinction.

I think the time has come for leagues in the Pyramid system to unite, hold a NATIONAL CONFERENCE with the cooperation of the Football Association and the GOVERNMENT to sort things out so that too many local clubs don't have to close down, maybe below a certain level in the Pyramid football needs to return to amateur status or some other arrangement affordable to the clubs below certain levels.

When we come to the inner cities millions are spent providing facilities funded in the main from government money, small towns and villages do not have that advantage, I think the time has come to recognise that local clubs are part of the community, as such they should be afforded charitable status with a revised tax rate that ensures they survive. I was shocked several years ago to learn that some sections of the TOP professional clubs in this country were getting charitable status.

We all know that many football clubs have been badly administered, many times it has been because everything connected with the game is vague, there should be an easy to use manual where everything is set out so clubs know which "i" to dot and which "t" to cross.

Take the South West Peninsula League, the average attendance is 58, to check out the small cash flow from there must involve the tax man in more man hours than the rewards they get back in taxes, as I see it with all the Health and Safety measures to be enforced along with facilities for the disabled etc. clubs outgoings could in most cases outstrip income, the tax man would only be needed to collect taxes against wages paid to players.

The sorry thing is that we rarely see any groups uniting their locality to preserve local facilities that are in danger, it is only when they are no longer there that people will realise the results of their folly.

When Truro were in the Southern League we went to Bracknell a well run club due to a handful of supporters, they were running 25 youth teams at the time, lovely club house, a place to be proud of yet their crowds were regularly in the middle double figure range, they have since been relegated and look as if they may do so again. Are clubs who run so many youth teams being used by the parents as baby sitters because they the parents are not supporting the Main club, you wouldn't expect double figure crowds at a club that has hundreds of kids playing for them. Not an isolated case, it has been noticable wherever we go, a few seasons back the same thing was happening when we went to Hayes and Harlington, surely if these clubs are providing a service to the young they deserve some form of recognition by reducing their outlay by lessening their cash burden.

The COUNTRY not only Football Clubs needs to do something before it is too late.

[mad ferret]

Really gutted for the club!

Went to the Drill Field many times in the past and the club effectively killed itself by not trading on the 'oldest ground' tag.

Shocking management, now they will end up at Wincham Park if Witton will have them.

[MOUNTAINEER]

I went to Witton when they played their first game in the Conference, I think that was before the Conference North/South came into being part of the non-league scene, that day their fans and committee were full of questions about what we thought of their immediate future in the Conference, I remember that day although they lost I think it was 2-1 they equipped themselves well but like Truro City they were a little club punching above their weight. You could sense the rivalry that existed between them and the team down the road, I don't think either sets of supporters would want their neighbours to go out of business, all those years ago when asking if it was possible in years to come for Witton Albion and Northwich Victoria to merge and the answer then was NEVER.

I wouldn't rule out a ground-share arrangement, however, I have observed elsewhere that ground-share is rarely if ever popular with the clubs or fans, one club blaming the other for all the world's ills, we sensed that last week at Welling United who have Erith and Belvedere as tenants, there was a real feel of an us and them attitude.

[JueChorleyFC]

I thought I best comment on this topic because my home town, Chorley, are playing in the same league as Northwich this season!

First of all, they had agreed to groundshare at Skelmersdale United, which of course is no where near them in Cheshire. Plus, it's not upto BSN standards so would halt them progressing. Rumour has it, that they've agreed to now groundshare with Stafford Rangers, whos ground does reach BSN standard, as it was there last season. Most Vics fans want to start again and get rid of Rushe, as he's killed the club!

[mad ferret]

Stafford is a long way from Northwich, too far for the support to continue watching them.

Superb to see a Chorley fan on here, I used to go to Victory Park to watch Chorley Borough RLFC in it's various guises. Very occasionally I would watch the football. Cracking place!

[JueChorleyFC]

If Jim Rushe had any morals left, he would just step aside and let the NVFC Trust to take over the running and try and get the club back on its feet. As things stand, this season would have been a waste of time for them. Superb season for them footballing wise, pushing Chester as far as they can. Their game should be interesting.

Thanks for the kind comments! :D