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Stockport fans help save Nuneaton from going under with incredible gesture

Stockport County fans help save Nuneaton Borough from going under with incredible gesture which sees the club able to continue playing.

Nuneaton thought that their weekend game against Alvechurch would be the club’s last having been served an eviction notice over rent arrears.

However Stockport fans raised over £2,000 by buying tickets online for the match even though they wouldn’t be attending.

The “amazing efforts” of supporters meant that it could cover costs to play the next two away games.

“I’ll be brutally honest, I was crying when I spoke to the fans [on Saturday],” Jimmy Ginnelly said as per BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, listen to his chat HERE.

“Because it means so much to me and my family and the people of Nuneaton.”

Nuneaton, who are currently trying to find a solution with landlord Arden Tigress, were locked out of its Liberty Way stadium for around three weeks.

They fell behind in rent payments since 2019, and things have got worse for them during Covid, yet, before it was locked out it had been “on course” to pay its debts by next month.

They have lost around £60,000 in revenue from home matches and other events since being locked out, club bosses said.

As well as Stockport fans, the club have also taken to thanked Southern League side Stratford Town for letting them groundshare Saturday’s home fixture against Alvechurch, in which Nuneaton won 3-2.

Mr Ginnelly made a plea to Arden Tigress’ directors: “Guys, I am begging you, open the gates for the people of Nuneaton borough” with the priority being to reopen the stadium, but have so far failed, so would look into ground sharing, but also had a number of inquiries regarding “a potential club takeover”, which it said it would evaluate.

Nuneaton beat Coventry Sphinx 3-2 on Tuesday to reach to the next round of the Birmingham Senior Cup, and play at home against Banbury United in the FA Trophy on Saturday.

CLUB STATEMENT:

Nuneaton Borough FC would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our survival for another week. Your unwavering support and commitment are greatly appreciated.

Due to your amazing efforts, we are able to cover the necessary costs to play our next two away games against Coventry Sphinx this Tuesday night, and at Banbury in the FA Trophy on Saturday.

We hope you will follow the team in your numbers. Not only does your support boost the players, we also receive a share of the gate receipts.

This week we will continue our attempts to liaise with the landlord to find a solution and reopen the stadium. That is our priority, but if this fails a ground share will also be looked into, although it is not an ideal or preferred solution.

We have received several enquiries regarding a potential club takeover and will be evaluating these options this week. We are open to any proposals that would ensure the club’s continued existence.

The club’s survival over the past few years has been a testament to the relentless dedication of well-meaning people who have invested their time, resources, and finances to maintain Nuneaton’s status as a non-league football club.

The club’s future is our utmost priority, and we welcome any assistance. Our Supporters Co-op will be hosting an open meeting at the Phoenix Community Centre, Bermuda Village, CV10 7PN – 7.30 pm this Monday. We encourage anyone who can contribute to attend.

Alternatively, you may reach out to the club at commercial@borofc.co.uk.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Jed at Stratford Town, The Southern League, The FA, Coventry Sphinx, Stockport County fans, Matthew Wood, Alvechurch FC, and all the Boro faithful for your support on Saturday.

Thanks also to Jimmy, Andy, the first-team staff and all the players for accepting reduced wages and demonstrating exceptional performance on and off the field.

To Dan, Mark, Sophie, Elaine, Andy, Piggy, Gordon, Blake, Jim, Decka, Martin, Tom and the volunteers who ensure smooth matchdays while playing ‘away,’ and to Stuart Elliott, Ian Cook, all our club sponsors, and anyone else we may have inadvertently overlooked.

Once again, thank you for your unwavering support.

Further statements will be issued as and when we have news.

Up the Boro!

Here’s how Twitter users reacted as Stockport fans help save Nuneaton from going under with the incredible gesture…

@ReddishHatter: Hope you win both especially the FA Trophy game and get that prize money!!

@jay37592284: Brilliant news but we need to balance the books going forward! Always a issue with debt

@scfccol: Positive news 💙

@FilletWorld: @StockportCounty your fans are absolutely gold-hearted legends

@stewart_leedham: Some good news at last!

@JAMIEVARDYISHA1: Brilliant news! Hopefully an investor takes over and finds a permeant ground!

@TeeGee60518810: A brilliant club that will be thoroughly missed by all fans living in the west midlands including me. Let’s hope we can help this club beat the budget issues and live on for years to come. We are with you @NuneatonBoroFC

@NoelJMart: Fundraising to play two away games this week, supposedly willing to pay previous and future ground rent a couple of weeks back. I hope for Nuneaton supporter’s sake, questions are being asked.

@cockneyhatter: Amazing news guys

@trader12blog: I’m not a Nuneaton fan but I’d be pulling my hair out with the statements – doesn’t seem to be much clarity/very brief? Good luck in your fight anyway 👍

@SolomonTwigg: From a Stockport fan, I’m glad to hear this! I hope you can all work something out and this club can stay! All the best 👍

@automaticyellow: Hope it works out for the best and you survive 💎

@Pauline04023347: Good luck 🍀 from a @ChesterFC fan who feels your pain. #keepthefaith

Andrew K Harrison: Whatever happened to those football fans unite days when fans from loads of clubs would just turn up wearing their own colours and buy a ticket to support any club struggling. I remember that we were told in advance which match it would be and thousands would just turn up 🤔

Harry Gibbs: Stockport are just a class club. Got a lot of time for them.

Laurence Inwood: This is the true spirit of the game. Not the circus we see in the Premier League each weekend.

Chris Taylor: Great news well done Stockport fans. This is the sort of thing that should be talked about in the sports pages in the papers,not prem managers moaning about v a r

David Shackley: Nuneaton will always have a place in our hearts for their hospitality and for being so accommodating the day County won the National League North. If we can help them in any way we will Good luck Boro

Roger Gurney: Come on Coventry City let’s help Boro out,you have a lot of supporters who follow both clubs.

Steve Berridge: Stockport fans are class. Really enjoyed my visit there last year. They’ve been through hard times themselves and haven’t forgotten as they climb back up the league pyramid. Nuneaton have a good fan base so pleased they’re saved for now. Remember the huge following they brought to Bournemouth in about 1991 for a cup tie…..

Gordon Foster: Whether or not you like Stockport, this is a top gesture. Well done to Stockport fans!

Craig Barber: Don’t think it’s just our fans in fairness. They have a lot of volunteers etc that have done far more than we have to ensure the club continues. The support shown by County fans stems back to when they bent over backwards to do anything they could for us when we went there in 2018/19 and won the league. They gave us 3500 tickets out of a 4000 capacity, put up beer tents and generally did everything in their power to get as many County fans there. For what they did for us, even a small amount of money will hopefully repay the favour.

Chris Dyde: Nuneaton is my home town and this is my team. I haven’t lived there for over thirty years but they will always be my first and forever love. I cannot thank Stockport fans enough for what they’ve done here, and I’m hoping against hope that this can be put straight, the fans have been through so much

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