[themaclad]

This lot have hit hard times over recent years

The future of 1990s FA Cup giantkillers Hednesford Town is under threat after a failed takeover.

The Staffordshire club released a statement on Thursday to say a deal for a new owner to take over the Pitmen has fallen through.

They will not now take up their place in the eighth tier Northern Premier League West for the 2023-24 season.

The club said: "All options will now be explored to try and ensure Hednesford can restart for the following season."

"It is with huge sadness that we write to confirm that the prospective new owner and chairman has withdrawn from the takeover late this afternoon.

"Due to recent meetings with the league and the FA, the timing of this means that unfortunately, Hednesford Town FC will be unable to play in the 2023-24 season."

The peak days of the Pitmen
Hednesford were the top non-league club in the Midlands when they finished 10th in the Conference in 1988-99, having finished seventh in their first campaign at fifth-tier level the year before.

They spent four seasons at fifth-tier level before being relegated in 2001.

They also made national headlines when they reached the FA Cup fourth round in 1997, beating fellow non-league side Southport and winning 1-0 at Blackpool thanks to a late Joe O'Connor strike before victory over York City at Keys Park.

They then lost 3-2 at Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough, the eventual finalists, only going down to two late goals from Jan-Aage Fjortoft and Fabrizio Ravanelli.

Hednesford were top of Conference North when they last reached the FA Cup first round in November 2013, narrowly losing 2-1 at home to Crawley Town.

But they dropped away to finish fourth, behind champions Telford, and were then relegated to the Northern Premier League just two seasons later in 2016.

And they have been in the Northern Premier League West since it restructured in 2020.

[themaclad]

Great news this

We are delighted to confirm that Bury Football Club will be back playing at Gigg Lane for the new season.
The FA have now confirmed that the name Bury Football Club can be used in competition, and a squad is ready to start the 2023/24 season in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.

The club will use its full name, Bury Football Club, and the abbreviated Bury FC where appropriate. Where team names have a suffix, we will use Bury FC in the team name, for example Bury FC Reserves, Bury FC Women.

The North West Counties Football League will simply show ‘Bury’ in all fixture lists and league table, in accordance with their convention.

We want to thank all the people and organisations that have made this possible and who continue to support us on and off the pitch.

Please join us on our adventure and become a member to help fund the club and allow you a say on how it is run. Everyone is welcome to join us on our wonderful journey.

Up the Shakers and see you in July!

[themaclad]

A pre-season friendly between Dunston and Gateshead was abandoned at half-time after men wearing masks drove a hearse on to the pitch.

Leaflets making allegations against two men were thrown out of the window during the incident.

Gateshead tweeted: "Due to an incident on the pitch occurring shortly after half-time, tonight's match has been abandoned by the referee."

The hearse was left on the pitch as the individuals exited via a second car.

Gateshead-based Dunston UTS play in the Northern Premier League - East Division, the eighth tier of English football, and were featuring in their fourth pre-season fixture of the summer against National League outfit Gateshead.

Police attended the scene with support from a helicopter.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66273898

[Lord Snooty]

This is what Just Stop Oil need to do. Never mind confetti. Drive a hearse onto the pitch.

[themaclad]

"We worked a miracle really to get promoted playing 46 away games," reflected Truro City manager Paul Wotton.

The White Tigers have spent the past two years playing in Wotton's home town as they share Plymouth Parkway's Bolitho Park ground after Truro's Treyew Road home was redeveloped into a supermarket.

But Cornwall's nomadic leading football club has hope for the future with work starting on a new ground in Truro.

"It's hard. We turn up and everything's yellow and blue - which are Parkway's colours - you just haven't got a home, it's nomadic experience," Wotton, a former Plymouth Argyle captain and legendary figure at the newly-promoted Championship club, told BBC Sport.

"But there's light at the end of the tunnel now.

"I went down to the new site a couple of weeks ago and you can see where the pitches are going to go, you can see where the stands are going to go, it's all happening, so you've just got to put your faith in the people behind it."

Paul Wotton celebrates with Tyler Harvey and James Hamon
Paul Wotton has kept the bulk of the side that won promotion including goalkeeper James Hamon and leading striker Tyler Harvey
This season will be the third time since 2011 that the club have made it to the National League South and the second time they will play at that level at a temporary home - they spent the first half of the 2018-19 season at Torquay United before plans for Treyew Road's closure stalled.

And Wotton will argue that promotion is not before time - Truro were top of Southern League Premier Division South and eyeing promotion to the sixth tier when the Covid-19 pandemic saw the league declared null and void while the following season also fell by the wayside after just a handful of games.

An eighth-placed finish in 2022 was followed up by promotion last season as they finished third in the table and won the play-offs.

"The Southern Premier League was starting to get a little bit friendly, playing the same teams all the time," Wotton added.

"So I can't wait to play against new opposition, a better standard of opposition, better grounds, better players, better managers, bigger budgets, all that sort of thing.

"It's going to be tremendously tough. Nine times out of 10 the league table sort of represents the budgets really, but we punched above our weight last year and got promoted and we'll have to punch above our weight this year.

"It's difficult, but we'll just have to be the best at the things that require no talent, so why can't we be fitter, why can't we be more organised, why can't we plan better for games, why can't we scout teams better?

"There's lots of different ways to go about your business, but we'll see and I'm looking forward to it."

Truro City players walk out for a match
Truro City's best-ever league finish was fourth place in National League South in 2016
But for now the focus is on trying to consolidate their status in National League South so the club's new ground can play host to the highest level of football a Cornish side has ever managed to attain.

"The new ground that's being built is incredible, hopefully I'm the manager still when they start next season in that ground," Wotton said.

"It's an exciting time for all, we've just got to get through this next season.

"It's tremendously difficult playing at Plymouth Parkway, everyone involved wants to get back, Truro City should be playing in Truro, so it's a no-brainer."

[themaclad]

Bath City striker Alex Fletcher has been cleared to play again, nine months after suffering a serious head injury when he collided with a concrete wall.

The 24-year-old needed surgery and was in a coma for five days following the accident during a match against Dulwich Hamlet in November last year.

Fletcher has also been given a new contract by Bath.

"Nobody will ever understand how many times I've played out the scenarios in my mind," he said.

"The next time stepping back on to Twerton Park with the number seven on my back, my next goal, my next win as a Roman. It's truthfully what's been keeping me going throughout my entire recovery."

It represents a remarkable recovery for Fletcher, who told BBC Sport in April that his family had been given stark warnings about the possible extent of his injury.

"My surgeon gave them the news that if I made it through the surgery, which was a slim chance as it was, I might not be the same person," Fletcher said. "I might not have use of my legs. I might not even remember my family because of where the impact was."

'Doctors said if I made it, I might not be the same'
Fletcher joined the Bath squad in full training on Thursday before their National League South league campaign begins on Saturday at Dartford. The forward will travel with the team on Saturday but will not be part of the matchday squad.

Manager Jerry Gill said: "To see Alex back in full contact training within the group, having been given the all clear from the specialists, is so inspiring.

"It's credit to his positive and determined mindset to how far he has come since that awful night back last year. We will continue to work with him and not rush anything at this stage, but it won't be long until we see him back out on the pitch in a Bath City shirt."

Fletcher added: "After a turbulent time for me, my family, my close friends and everybody connected with Bath City, I'm absolutely delighted to not only have the opportunity to get back on the pitch, but to continue playing my part for this amazing football club."

[themaclad]

National League South side Truro City have been taken over by Eric Perez, the owner of Cornwall's rugby league side.

The club had been owned by Kernow Sport - who also own Cornish Pirates rugby union side - since March 2019.

Under the plans both sides will eventually play at a new stadium being built for Truro City on the outskirts of the Cornish capital.

"We've fallen in love with the place and we see massive potential in this football club," Perez said.

"The ability to take this club up levels would be transformative for the sporting landscape in Cornwall and we're looking forward to delivering that," he told BBC Spotlight.

Truro are in the relegation places in National League South after their promotion last season and play their games at Plymouth Parkway's Bolitho Park while their new ground is being built.

"I'm sad to lose Truro City, it's been a pleasure to support their ambitions, see them promoted, and have started to build their new home in Truro," Kernow Sport owner Dicky Evans said.

"We pass on a great club with a bright future and I wish them well with their new owners" Evans added.

'I'm a football fanatic' - Perez
Eric Perez
Eric Perez's Cornwall RLFC have played in the third tier of English rugby league for the past two seasons
Perez - who set up Cornwall RLFC in 2021 - feels Truro's unique position geographically in Cornwall means the purchase by his Ontario Inc consortium could be a good business decision.

"I feel like a well-supported club in Cornwall has more ability to make money let's say than your average club," the Canadian added.

"I don't think there's another club that has an hour-and-a-half catchment area in the top six divisions, so just that alone presents a unique opportunity.

"We've been looking at that and realising this is a good thing for us to do."

Perez was a founder of Toronto Wolfpack and had plans for a second rugby league side, Ottawa, to play in England before the Covid-19 pandemic.

But despite an association with the 13-man game, Perez says football is his big passion.

"I don't think too many people would say 'let's buy a football club to support a rugby league club', I think that's a strange play to make," he said.

"I'm a football fanatic, a lot of people on the group are football fanatics and we're here to take this club up, that's what we're here for.

"If it wasn't for the rugby league club we wouldn't know about this operating environment so that is a factor, but we're talking football."

What now for Cornish Pirates?
Site for Truro City's new stadium from the air
Work is well under way on the site that will be Truro City's new stadium
Truro City's new 3,000 capacity venue is currently being built on the outskirts of the city after long-running plans for a 10,000 capacity Stadium for Cornwall ground to a halt.

The arena is being financed by money which was ringfenced from the sale of Truro's old ground at Treyew Road to developers who have since built a supermarket on the site.

It had been planned that once the new ground had been built it could be scaled up to accommodate Premiership rugby union should the Pirates be in a position to gain promotion.

"It is a sadness for Pirates to have to give up their ambition for a permanent home in Truro, but the bigger reality of my declining health and sunset funding means that sensible governance decisions needed to be made to secure the future of both clubs," Evans said.

"With Truro City in good hands, I am now totally focussed on passing on the Pirates baton to new rugby owners. Cornish Pirates will remain in Penzance, their home and heartland.

"We may have lost the stadium, but we have gained control of our own destiny."

Stadium for Cornwall
Cornish Pirates' long-held ambitions to play in a stadium in Truro - such as the planned Stadium for Cornwall - now appear over
Championship clubs - including the Pirates - rejected a plan from the Rugby Football Union for a franchise-based league as part of proposals for a new 'Premiership Two' from 2025.

Kernow Sport had been crowdfunding to help finance both the Pirates and Truro City - more than 500 people invested as the firm raised in excess of £400,000.

And while a new stadium may no longer be part of the Pirates' future - something they had been hoping for more than 15 years - the club feels this deal will secure its future despite concern over the long-term plans for club rugby union in England.

"In the face of all the publicity about failing rugby clubs and the total lack of clarity from the RFU on the rugby structure and more importantly on funding going forward, I am proud to say that Pirates is financially secure and will continue to compete within the top 20 of English rugby," said Cornish Pirates chairman Paul Durkin.

"The club is an essential part of the fabric of Cornwall with a loyal fan base and widespread commercial and community support. As a safe bet, we are as good as it gets."

[themaclad]

NUNEATON

Usually only a day way from collapsing an ongoing saga

Nuneaton Borough are keen to return to their rented home at Liberty Way - over a month after being evicted.

The non-league side have played a home game at Stratford, will play at Coventry's CBS Arena on Saturday, and have switched their other home games.

But, while discussing a temporary move to Leicestershire side Barwell, new owners DA Capital, say the long-term plan is to be back in Nuneaton.

"We are keen to get the club back to Liberty Way," said a club statement.

"One of our first jobs following the takeover has been approaching the landlord to enter into talks with us.

"We can advise a letter has been sent to the landlord's solicitor and we are awaiting a response back.

"We have no interest in anything than getting back to Liberty Way and we are keen to get this resolved as soon as possible."

Nuneaton still face eviction rent arrears
Boro to play 'last game' at Stratford Town
Boro move FA Trophy first-round tie
Nuneaton Borough have eviction note served
DA Capital, an investment and business recovery specialist firm owned by David Anderson, purchased a majority shareholding in Borough on 23 November.

But, following several days of social media speculation over the intentions of himself and his two fellow investors Nick Thompson and Robert Tidmarsh, Anderson said: "I apologise to all for the limited communication since our takeover two weeks ago and for any consequent uncertainty regarding the club's ownership.

"We needed to find our feet in the club and get to know what we are faced with and how we are going to work to find a solution, and we felt it premature to release a meaningful statement prior to having assessed the situation.

"Our ambition is to get Nuneaton back to Liberty Way as quick as possible and for this football club to run on its own feet with minimal financial input."

In the meantime, after this Saturday's FA Trophy tie against AFC Fylde, Boro's immediate plan is to groundshare at Barwell 10 miles away across the Leicestershire border.

"An agreement is in the process of being formulated with Barwell to accommodate us for our upcoming home fixtures," said the club statement.

"We also want to say a massive thank to Doug King, Dave Boddy and the Coventry Building Society Arena for letting us use the stadium for the FA Trophy game against Fylde."

Nuneaton also say they want to "tackle the club's debt, which will of necessity involve some harsh decisions in the short term."

Liberty Way, previously owned by Nuneaton Rugby Club, has been Borough's home since leaving their old Manor Park home in 2007, has been owned by Arden Tigress since 2019.

[themaclad]

Cymru Premier strugglers Pontypridd United could face a 141-point deduction and have had six points immediately docked for player contract breaches.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) set up an independent investigation into the allegations.

The probe found Pontypridd guilty on all 18 charges, and losing six points sends them to the bottom of the table.

A further 135 points will be deducted if they field an ineligible player before the end of the 2024-25 season.

The panel also imposed a two-window transfer ban on the south Wales club, leaving them unable to buy in players until January 2025.

The offences included non-payment of monies owed to players and failure to comply with contractual player obligations.

Further charges included a failure to register players correctly and the playing of ineligible players.

When charged, Pontypridd said they intended to defend themselves "robustly".

However, the independent panel ruled against the club.

Pontypridd were removed from the Welsh Cup for the rest of the season before the investigation began, but they can continue to feature in the Nathaniel MG Cup.

They go to Cardiff Met on Tuesday, 19 December in the quarter-finals in a game initially postponed because of the investigation.

[themaclad]

NUNEATON

Nuneaton Borough co-owner/manager Jimmy Ginnelly is to step down after five years in charge of the troubled non-league club.

Ginnelly's final game will be Friday's Southern League Premier Division Central game at home to Hitchin Town.

Borough vice-chairman Ian Cook "is going to be taking the club forward," said Ginnelly.

"He really does need to get the help from sponsors to take the club forward and for it to survive."

Former Kidderminster Harriers, Cheltenham and Solihull Moors midfielder Kyle Storer, 36, will take on the job of manager.

Boro are currently without a home, and have a ground share agreement at Barwell, 10 miles away across the Leicestershire border.

15 Dec: DA Capital 'relinquish ownership' of Nuneaton Borough
8 Dec: Nuneaton Borough owners want return to Liberty Way
1 Dec: Troubled Boro to stage match at Coventry's CBS Arena
13 Nov: Nuneaton still face eviction rent arrears
10 Nov: Boro to play 'last game' at Stratford Town
27 Oct: Boro move FA Trophy first-round tie
They were served with an eviction notice from their Liberty Way home by landlords Arden Tigress over rent arrears in October.

Since then they have also played home games at Stratford Town and at the nearby Coventry Building Society Arena before moving to Barwell.

"I'm going to step away from the club after Friday's game," Ginnelly told BBC CWR. "I'd like to say thanks for the amazing commitments to the club over the last five seasons and to myself.

"We looked after our local football club together. Without that input I'd never have been able to keep it going.

"I've been doing everything I can for the last five years and putting my own money into the club.

"Everything is going forward but we still don't have any answers as to why the landlord still has the padlocks on.

"I've got no option but to sacrifice myself and hand the reins over, in the hope that someone else can take it on. And I understand that there is a consortium interested."