Netherton FC - Kick Start Funding

Aim

The project aim is to provide a kick start to the club after the Covid-19 crisis

Our vision at Netherton Football Club is to cement the club's future through investing in various projects.

Furthermore, the club aims to secure the FA Charter Standard in the upcoming season. 

However, in these uncertain times, if nothing else this money will provide the club with security and cement it's place in the community for years to come. 

What do we do?

Since 1971 Netherton Football Club has provided a basis for local people to play the sport. For almost 50 years now the club has proved to be a pillar of the community. 

There has been football in Netherton for many years, long before the formation of Netherton FC. The photo below is from the 1950's (circa 1953) and features the grandfather of yours truly.

Our members are from a whole cross section of society and from varying socio-economic backgrounds. Equality and inclusion are key values of the club. We take great pride in the bond of friendship the club creates between people from all walks of life. 

As a football club we cater for players throughout their career. We have a strong tradition of bringing on players from Netherton Junior Football Club. Our squads for all three of our Saturday teams and strongly supported by these players. It is our goal to keep young people engaged and involved in local sport and their community. 

Netherton Football Club also cater for those nearing the end of their sporting career. We have a 'Veterans' team which plays fixtures mid-week. 

The effect of Covid-19

These effects have been felt both financially and practically by the club. 

Finances

With the 2019/2020 season finishing early the club has lost out on crucial funds which would normally be collected on a weekly basis. These include match day subscriptions but also the weekly raffle/'football card', which themselves raised between £60-£100 a week. 

Furthermore the club was not able to host its annual 'Donkey Derby' race night, which we host on the Easter bank holiday weekend. This is an absolutely crucial event which always raises several thousand pounds. Furthermore, with the Covid-19 situation developing in an uncertain fashion, we are not sure when we will next be able to host such a race night again with the required number of attendees (it's usually standing room only!). Therefore, we could be looking at another season without our crucial fundraiser. 

This fundraiser pays for the club's upfront costs for the upcoming season, these include around £800 in pitch fees payable to the local authority. 

Practicalities

The club's vision over previous years has been to expand. We have successfully raised a 3rd XI for our Saturday fixtures, however we are looking to achieve more. We are hoping to widen our appeal to the local community. Our ability to do so has been hindered by the current situation. We are finding that existing and potential new members are wary of the hygiene and safety of getting involved in sports. In an effort to counter this we have renovated our storage facility to create a safe space for equipment to be sanitized and made safe for our members to use. See the before and after photos below!

We are going to have to up our standards as a club to make our new and prospective members feel safe. 

What are we fundraising for?

Primarily this fundraiser is just to cement the club's future in these uncertain times.

Obviously the primary need for funds is just to keep the club alive however, hopefully we can use any remaining funds to push the club forward. 

Keeping both teenagers and 'middle agers' engaged in sport

We are aiming to widen our appeal to two crucial demographics. Firstly we aim to keep teenagers engaged in football once they leave the junior football set up. Many youngsters stop playing football at this point and this is a great shame. 

We would like to:

• Host signing on/open evenings specifically for players from Netherton Junior Football club and junior players from the surrounding area
• Host professional coaching sessions aimed to adapting players to the senior game
• Purchase more training equipment to improve our sessions and attract more younger players

We are also conscious of the need to broaden our appeal to those closer to the end of their playing career.

We would like to:

• Generate greater publicity and support for our 'Veterans' team. To ensure the older members of the community are aware of our activities
• Potentially raise a 4th XI on a Saturday, to give us greater capacity to host older players who would not feel confident playing in our higher teams

In spite of the Covid-19 crisis we are aiming to grow and grow!

Generally improving the club's offering

We are also looking at various projects for the upcoming season. These include:

• Obtaining the FA Charter Standard
• Investing in FA coaching qualifications for our coaches
• Purchasing new training equipment, such as mini goals and training aids
• Purchasing equipment to manage supports on the touch line. Such as portable lines to section of supporters areas
• New first aid kits
• New material to advertise the club to the wider community

Netherton FC - Giving Something Back

As well as promoting our own cause, we do like to give something back to other causes. Most recently one of our members completed a sky dive for Kirkwood Hospice. 

In July of this year, a handful of our members got together to assemble and wash many of the club's old kits. These have been donated to a worthy cause in Zimbabwe. 

As a club we try and do our bit for other causes as often as we can.

Thank you

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this page. We are doing our best to grow the club. We have never offered sponsorship opportunities such as boards and names on match balls before and we look forward to broadening our appeal to potential sponsors. 

This project successfully funded on 14th September 2020