Yarmouth Town ‘must build on lifeline’
Friday, January 13, 2012
5:36 PM
Yarmouth Town Football Club has been urged to build on the lifeline thrown to them by local businessman Mike Smith’s sponsorship.
Arthur Fisk, who chaired an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the crisis-hit club’s future on Tuesday evening, said afterwards: “We have been given a lifeline and it’s up to us to build on it.”
He thanked everyone who had rallied around the club, including fan Rich Davison, who was spurred into launching a “Save the Bloaters” fund-raising campaign. “We are indebted to Rich, his wife and his daughter. It’s a great example.”
The meeting revealed that the 114-year-old club had debts totalling £5500, the majority of which was owed to Great Yarmouth Borough Council, owners of the Wellesley ground.
Club chairman Colin Jones said the meeting had generated ideas that “the committee will consider and look to move forward”,
New vice-chairman John Barnden emphasised his priority to “keep the community” with the club.
He admitted that the five-figure sponsorship deal struck with Mr Smith and his Harfreys Industrial Estate-based oil industry company DSL “was a bonus for us and it calmed things down a little bit.”
Mr Smith said: “It seemed inconceivable that the club was heading towards possibly becoming dissolved, I’ve run and owned businesses in Yarmouth for 30 years and thought this is a good opportunity to put something back.”
The meeting was attended by around 50 people including Norfolk County FA’s chief executive Shaun Turner.
He said: “We can help ensure that things are done correctly, to guide and give advice on what would be a good decision for the club.”
Borough councillors were also present along with former professional footballer Paul Gibbs, who stressed the importance of a strong youth policy.
Four people volunteered to become committee members. When appointed they will bring the club committee up to full strength of 15.
Tomorrow Yarmouth Town get back to business on the pitch when Mike Derbyshire’s men entertain mid-table Stanway Rovers (3pm) in the Ridgeons League Premier Division.
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2 comments
I'd like to further add.., all myself and my family want to do is watch football, support the team and be left alone..just because i'm passionate about the bloaters does not open the door for the club to use me or my family as a cash generating machine to benefit the club and all its costs and outgoings..we pay a lot of money into the club between us over the course of a season..is this not enough GYTFC ? do you want blood from us too? Some weeks its a struggle to get money together to come along to the wellesley but we make cuts to do this to support the team...To be honest i wish i'd never started this help save the bloaters campaign, its caused nothing but headaches and stress to myself and family. We have decided after heated discussion between myself and committee members that we feel we cannot contribute anything to help move the club forward under this current regime..our support for the team will always be strong despite the shocking results week in week out. to commit to ideas such as forming a supporters association or being part of the infastructure of the club is at present not possible...i'm hoping those who see this that are associated with the club finally get the message, we are not supporters to be used as cash ponies..we are supporters who simply want to support and enjoy ourselves and the company we invite along with us..If those on the committee or the officers of the club have a need for more cash to keep the club on an even keel, i'd suggest they pull together as one and start doing more to generate cash rather than waiting for the next person to come along and do it for them.
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Monkeyhanger
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Sorry mr fisk but this is simply not how it was after the meeting, you did not thank me or my family...you , and a few others have lost my respect now at the club. I support the team because they deserve support, you lot on the committee deserve nothing but the contempt you showed me.
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Monkeyhanger
Friday, January 13, 2012