Thought you all might like this...

[BartonRaz]

Some of you are probably familiar with the UCL Facebook page. This from the Club Secretary of S&L Corby...
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Friday nights column with S&L Corby secretary Kevin O’Brien:

Last weekend I couldn’t make our home game against Irchester for reasons that by far out-weighed football,yet I was kept in touch through text and as I recorded in last weeks col
umn, through tweets! Modern technology,wow!

Sunday, as usual, having filtered past the tabloid covers of royal nonsense, I gained my copy of the Non League Paper. It’s usually quite difficult to read much about Step 5, let alone our own league, but this publication is making an effort to publish more stories from our level following a reader survey. After all, our level, is made up of ‘real people, real clubs’ as opposed to those that become untouchable in the professional world.

Those that read my column may be surprised that I was actually pleased to read Stuart Hammond’s centrefold on AFC Rushden & Diamonds. After all, it’s publicity for our league and underpins the strength within. Or does it? With a circulation both on and offline of circa three million, will the article tempt more to follow the UCL and its clubs, or perhaps more likely, help the newly-formed phoenix club to gain more spectators?

The two page spread was surrounded by advertising from those that sponsor the club. Interestingly, the interview claims that the players aren’t paid, merely getting ‘incentive pay’ for a win. Now we can all have our own view on that but clearly by being more successful this should cost the club more. It can easily be worked out that in view of home attendances alone, the income is £60,000 a season. Add programmes, catering, not to mention memberships ( and other ways to support the club on the website) then it must approach £100k. Take out the rent to the Dog & Duck, there’s still robust investment from sponsors and supporters alike, which means AFC R&D, must gain promotion from Division One this season-to fail is not an option. Being in Division One also produces a one-day windfall for another club when the Diamonds come to town. As I started with, this is not being critical of Diamonds, in fact the very opposite. All of us would like our own clubs to have the opportunity AFC have gained following the failure of Nene Park days. Congratulations should also be given to those involved in the resurrection.

However ( has anyone ever had a conversation that started with ‘You’re a top bloke’ or ‘ We really like you’ as a ‘but’ generally follows) perhaps the NLP would also like to consider articles on men such as Desborough Town Treasurer, Vic Panter who received his richly-deserved long service award from the NFA before the home game against Harborough Town. Vic has been in the role longer than the Nene Park ground has been built yet it’s not a story. Is this because it’s a case of where you’re at not where you’ve come from? Victor is one of hundreds of volunteers within the non-league game never to make a fuss and just gets on with his voluntary task ( John Lee the Desborough Secretary also received a low key award for long-service earlier this year).

The likes of Victor, John and others will continue doing what they do until health fails them. Desborough Town, like many others in the United Counties League, are content being where they/we are. In some ways the likes of Rothwell Town were pioneers for the UCL into the Southern League-there were many more and those pioneers became guinea pigs and are now no longer (or at least on the backburner for now).

With the ambitions of AFC, I’m sure they (similar to a team that plays in blue over the border) see the UCL as somewhere they’re just passing through for three seasons. That sounds like a business plan in action. And good luck to them (not the mob in blue I hasten to add!) . I’m certain the supporters will deserve it. Question is, will those currently there doing the roles of ‘John and Vic’ be around in quarter of a century having been on the journey? I doubt it very much. Fluent success generally means fluent change for players, ….and volunteers. In the meantime, those whose prime ambition is to stay in the UCL will still have their football every weekend. Those on the UCL Committee, those on club committees will know how we were all threatened last season with the potential for being dispersed to various quarters of the country….good luck to those that make that choice to achieve that, but anyone recall the tale of the tortoise and the hare? (Or Wembley v Uxbridge!!).

It’s interesting that clubs with failed financial recent history want to go back and take the risk all over again, rather than accept a manageable level. Consider Kings Lynn. Can anyone say with 100% confidence they’ll survive at Step 4? With this in mind, we look forward to the usual suspects applying for that leap of faith and I expect St Ives to be the club this season that moves on up. In this case though, with a served apprenticeship, improved and improving ground facilities, hard-working although small (not you personally Simon!) committee and players currently in the squad that could play at Step 4 and possibly higher, along with an enthusiastic and consistent hardcore support, all indicate ongoing success and with the same people involved.

I guess it could therefore be questioned for a club as to what is success? Why on earth would last seasons UCL Champions even momentarily consider going up a Step? There would have been little point. Managers will always seek to be the driver of ambition when it comes to promotion. Is there any point in funding title challenges which result in non-promotion? Yet is it even harder these days to achieve back to back titles in the UCL Premier? I suspect so. And what an incredible achievement that would be rather Champions followed by a costly sojourn elsewhere.

Good luck to all our clubs in the Vase this weekend.

[Bobos]

Oh dear.....................I see the dinosaurs have inherited a computer.

Yes we all appreciate the hard work that people put into their clubs, BUT..............and It's a big BUT, is it right that these people spend 20-30-even 40 years of their life, stuck in the same league, talking to similar people about the same things every season.

Ambition seems to be a dirty word in the UCL, they need to take a leaf out of some of the Paraolympians.

When faced with adversitary fight back, and fight back with a passion.

Good luck to then people that spend years going nowhere, I salute you, but don't knock ambition, it's waht this country was built on 8-)

[Trek]

'It’s interesting that clubs with failed financial recent history want to go back and take the risk all over again, rather than accept a manageable level'.

Perhaps it ought to be pointed out to him that the stated aim of AFC R&D is to accept a manageable, and sustainable level!

[Bobos]

I have replied on that site, I hope I'm not out of line 8-)

[Three of Diamonds]

Success, for most of these clubs, is survival. I agree with Bob, we have the ambition and the means. How the heck he can see into the future as to who'll be at our club as long as that guy at Desborough is anyone's guess. He still thinks we're a "new club" without realising we have people at our club who have been around a long time as well, they didn't all NEED to be volunteers (some of them were) at one time but now are so can count that all as service in my book.
You worry about your problems Kev, we'll worry about ours.

[Bobos]

I hope my reply won't be taken out of context.

I really appreciate what these people have done over the years, but surely, they must have been frustrated at the lack of success at their various clubs? 8-)

[ChorltonV]

Ambition seems to be a dirty word in the UCL, they need to take a leaf out of some of the Paraolympians.


8-)

I couldn't agree more, I can totally understand the speculation surrounding our finances, it must raise eyebrows given our support and we'll never stop the suspicions of other clubs. However to laud mediocrity and turn a nose up to ambition and progress is a bit odd.

[Bobos]

It's more to do with the fact that we got of our arses to save our club, and not sit staring into space for twenty years 8-) 8-) 8-)

[Bob's Bitch]

I'll say it again, let's just ignore them and concentrate on the football.

[Bobos]

I'll say it again, let's just ignore them and concentrate on the football.

totally agree 8-)