Northern Premier League club reveal they are struggling to make ends meet

Northern Premier League club Corby Town reveal they are struggling to make ends meet, issuing a statement on New Year’s Eve.

The team play in the 8th tier NPL Midlands Division, of which they sit 14th with 25 points from 20 games and are five points above the drop zone but have games in hand over the bottom side.

They are searching for new investors after suffering a monthly shortfall of £14,000, according to the directors of Corby Town.

Even with “careful planning” and the “unwavering support” of major investors Paul Glass and James Longley, it could not meet its budget.

Club Statement #Pitcherohttps://t.co/Wq1fIRHuMW pic.twitter.com/yBfBJwe6YN

— Corby Town FC (@corbytownfc) December 31, 2023

New TV Broadcast deal = £6.9bn.
0.0001% of that covers @corbytownfc losses for a year.
The Independent Regulator MUST have control over the flow for the sake of football.@louise_parry1

BBC News – Corby Town FC struggles with shortfall of “thousands”https://t.co/zGimzAk82u

— Fair Game (@FairGameUK) January 1, 2024

Corby Town Football Club – Board of Directors Press Statement

We, the Board of Directors at Corby Town Football Club, wish to address the community and our dedicated fans regarding recent discussions on social media about our club’s budget and financial status.

First and foremost, it is essential to acknowledge the unwavering support of our major investors, Paul Glass and James Longley. Their contributions have been fundamental to the club’s operations. At the start of the season, our budget was set between £3,500 to £4,000 weekly. However, despite careful planning, we faced a shortfall of approximately £70,000 for the season, primarily due to other overheads at Steel Park. This budget was contingent on achieving an average attendance of around 700 and successful cup runs, which, unfortunately, have not materialized as expected.

In response to these challenges and the withdrawal of additional investors who initially agreed to support wage funding, we made a minimal reduction in the budget to below £3,500 per week about five weeks ago. This decision was to be reviewed following the Boldmere game.

Despite this reduction, maintaining our current budget level necessitates significant personal contributions from our major investors, Paul Glass and James Longley. To date, they have injected an additional £34,000 this season and are faced with the prospect of contributing £14,000 per month to sustain our operations. This situation is far from ideal, especially considering the club’s home performance and league position, which necessitate further discussions on potential budget adjustments.

In light of these challenges, we are actively seeking new avenues to strengthen our club’s financial foundation. We warmly welcome discussions with individuals and parties interested in contributing to the club’s leadership and operations. Whether it’s through investment, strategic guidance, or innovative management, your participation could be the key to unlocking new levels of success and stability for our club.

Additionally, we are open to and invite applications from individuals interested in joining our board, particularly those with expertise in commercial activities. Our goal is unified: to build a successful Corby Town team, one that not only thrives in the current league but also aims for promotion and greater achievements.

We understand the concerns of our fans and the community. Your support has always been the cornerstone of our club. We assure you that every decision we make is with the club’s best interest at heart, aiming for a sustainable and prosperous future for Corby Town Football Club.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to overcoming these challenges together.

Any interested parties should email Info@corbytown.co.uk

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors

Corby Town Football Club

Corby assistant manager Darren Edey posted on Twitter: “Firstly, from a management point of view we accept that our home form has been awful and we are as disappointed as anyone and will take full responsibility for that, the fact we have the best away form in the league doesn’t make it feel any better.

“Something not mentioned in the release is the fact the budget we have is for all football activities including management team, coaches, expenses for scout, physio, kitwoman, cleaner and players and travel expenses so not just as it insinuates for playing budget alone, on top of this the initial budget has never been at 4K and averaged around £3480.

“I sat in a meeting pre season where we were told the figures were based on attendances of 500 So despite our shocking home form the fans have still turned up and we still average more than the 500 required.

“Gaffa has been working with the owners to try and resolve these issues and hopefully we can find the extra investment required and we can remain here and bring back the good times the fans and club deserve.”

This is how fans reacted as the Northern Premier League club reveal they are struggling to make ends meet…

@harboroughfox19: Rivalry aside hope you sort it out longley is a good lad ( Harborough lad ) hope you stay afloat

@fegan_kevi56852: Jesus surprised Gary hasn’t walked 😳. Some teams up in the play offs with step 6 budgets. I’ve listened to Gary’s recent interviews and personally think he’s been very open and honest underachieving on the pitch.

@1992_andym: Including cup money in the budget and an average attendance 100 above what it has been in successful seasons? Grateful for the communication as I think it’s long overdue but is that common practice? Can we get a fans forum for the new year organised to save me asking on here?

@HawkieHawkins96: How on earth are all 3 major clubs within Northamptonshire in a very unsustainable place all of a sudden…. How can they get themselves out of the mess if no investors turn up 😳👀

@JurgLFC: Corby statement explaining why their wage budget was unsustainable, then explaining that their revised wage budget still requires significant input from money men, then asking for suggestions… I’d make a pretty obvious suggestion, but I don’t think it would go down too well.

@TomSnee: Stopped reading when they made their clown status clear by saying their budget was relying on good cup runs… Wonder if this statement was written by their major investors, Paul Glass and James Longley.

@KsOllieU: Given some of the budget in step 4 & 5 non league. Compared to Ks, we might be best playing Combined Counties Division one football. Sadly it’s only going to get worse & worse 😭😭😭

@coreyeaton97: £4000 at non league step 4, bonkers.

@rpoore1882: To originally try and say they were basing it on 700+ at home is ridiculous 🤦‍♂️

@harveyob17: Hopefully yous stay around for next season, appreciate the communication from the management team ⚫️⚪️

@Alfie_442: The fans are behind you that’s all that should matter. Results will come our way. MTS ⚫️⚪️

@goonersteelman: Trouble is the Club is known now for drug dealing and a court case coming up soon , who going to invest , I be surprise if any investment will come

@1992_andym: Ngl had more questions than answers from that statement from the club 🤣 always have appreciated the honesty from you and setch and the transparency you give us along with Chuck. Cup money being involved in the budget doesn’t seem right either, don’t know if that’s common?