FOOTBALL: Warminster axe reserves in cash crisis (From Wiltshire Times)

FOOTBALL: Warminster axe reserves in cash crisis

4:30pm Friday 22nd January 2010 in

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WARMINSTER Town chairman Pete Blackburn has axed the club’s reserve side in a bid to safeguard the future of the Wessex League Division One outfit.

The Weymouth Street club said this week that they were in a precarious financial position and had pulled their second string out of the Wiltshire League Premier Division.

Players are now also expected to fund their own journeys to away games.

Businessman Blackburn, who is chairman of Warminster’s Chamber of Commerce, was appointed in November after the resignation of Nigel McGuckian for personal reasons.

He is worried about the club’s cash flow and has appealed for backing from the town.

He said: “We want to make sure that the club is still here in the future. “The situation has accrued over a large period of time and we could not afford for the reserve team to continue.

“I’ve worked out that it would cost the club £38,200 to run both the reserves and first team for the entire year.

“Unfortunately, gate receipts for reserve matches don’t even cover the match officials and we’ve also got a number of outstanding invoices that have accumulated.”

Blackburn, 52, of Sambourne Gardens, Warminster who runs a training and development centre in Bath, originally became vice-chairman in June of last year.

He says the club receives about £3,000 a year from players’ club memberships fees and makes an average of £480 on gate receipts for first team games.

“We need sponsorship and we need the support of the local community,” said Blackburn.

“We have to lease our ground from Wiltshire Council and we have to pay for things like match officials and catering staff.

“We need people who can volunteer to help out on match days. We need as much help as we can get.

“I’m sure that local enterprises wouldn’t want to see the club go under and if anyone wants to ask me about a partnership then I’d be happy to speak to them.”

Red and Blacks first team boss Jason Guy said: “All of the travel expenses have been stopped and we’re now funding ourselves to go to away games”

“Hopefully, we can start the reserves up again next season but it will probably be in one of the junior leagues.

“I don’t think the club is in meltdown – we’re just trying to stabilise the situation at the moment.”

Blackburn, a former club volunteer whose daughter Natalie used to play for the club’s ladies’ team, added: “We’re trying to make sure that the football club stays in place. We will ride out the storm and come out the other side.”

Anyone interested in helping the club is urged to call 01985 217828, or email warminstertownfc@hotmail.com.