This week has seen EBAC Northern League Division One side West Allotment Celtic Chairman David Dodds release the below statement on the club's future and the fact they are on the brink of folding.
If you are reading this and can help the club, which is approaching it's Centenary year in 2028, please contact them as soon as possible.
Allotment were formed in 1928 and have played at their East Palmersville Sports Pavilion home since the summer of 2021. They have been members of the EBAC Northern League since 2004 with their best placed finish being fifth place in the 22/23 season.
They have reached the Fourth Round of the FA Vase twice where they lost to two clubs based in the South of England - In the 03/04 season they lost to Cray Wanderers and 04/05 lost to Soham Town Rangers.
For now their games against Redcar Athletic and Newcastle Blue Star have been postponed. Let's hope something can be sorted out to save them.
WEST ALLOTMENT CELTIC STATEMENT
West Allotment Celtic Football Club is sadly on the brink of folding and has written to the Northern League to ask for two weeks suspension of fixtures to explore if the club can continue. A number of factors have led the club to this point. The loss of our main sponsor Wade Financial who over many years helped the club left a hole in club finances which has never been replaced, added to this was the rent this season tripling.
The club this season tried to make the match day experience much better by the provision of an on site catering unit and also a bar offering draught lager and cider. Increased social media and roadside boards advertising fixtures was also used.
Despite this the local community has shown very little interest in non league football and even when the club finished fifth in Division One the attendances were poor.
The club has probably the lowest playing budget in the league but even if this was reduced further the costs of running the club would not be covered. Our situation is not an isolated one with many clubs seeing falling attendances.
The other major factor is that like many we have an ageing committee and despite many attempts the failure to attract new members to step up and take on roles such as Secretary and Treasurer. Our current treasurer is stepping down after fifty years of service with many others on the committee having been involved with the club a similar amount of time.
As Chairman I have been involved with West Allotment for 25 years in one role or another and that role now involves making sensible decisions and in this case a very difficult one. The club did not wish to dig itself into a financial hole leaving lots of debts.
If anyone is interested in trying to help the club continue please get in touch directly. We will need investment and people to join the committee in roles such as treasurer and secretary.
Our junior and Ladies teams will continue as they are not connected financially to WACFC so the name will go forward to reach our 100th anniversary in four years time.
Any interested parties please contact me directly on 07977 413102
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