AFC Telford are the latest club to announce that their ambition is to reach the Football League, despite their predecessor club going out of business. The Blue Square Bet North club was a phoenix club formed after Telford United, a founder member of the Conference, went into liquidation with the collapse of benefactor Andy Shaw’s businesses in 2004.
AFC Telford are the latest club to announce that their ambition is to reach the Football League, despite their predecessor club going out of business. The Blue Square Bet North club was a phoenix club formed after Telford United, a founder member of the Conference, went into liquidation with the collapse of benefactor Andy Shaw’s businesses in 2004.
The club has recorded a profit for a sixth consecutive year. However, the operating profit for 2009-10 was very small. There was a 20 per cent fall in turnover, a £100,000 drop in gate receipts, a record provision for doubtful debts and a hit to income due to the collapse of Farsley Celtic. The Bucks spent the highest amount they have spent on the playing squad, but only managed to finish 11th. However, the Bucks are currently 3rd and attracted an attendance of 2,315 at yesterday’s game with Guiseley.
Their immediate objective is to get into the Conference. However, chairman Lee Carter commented, ‘Why shouldn’t a town like Telford – with 138,000 living there – support a Football League club? It’s very, very capable of it.’
I don’t want to rain on their parade, but let me suggest one reason why. People who live in new towns often retain allegiances to the clubs where they came from, for example there is substantial Wolves support in Telford. Of course, it’s not an either or choice: I manage to support both a Football League club and a non-league club.
However, only four new towns in Britain sustain league clubs. Three of the cases did not result from home grown teams. In Scotland, Livingston resulted from the transfer of Meadowbank Athletic who used to play in Edinburgh (and admittedly had a crowd largely made up of the relatives and friends of the players). Clyde moved from their home in Glasgow to Cumbernauld new town. And, infamously, MK Dons emerged from the transfer of the Wimbledon ‘franchise’.
The only new town club that has made it through their own efforts in Stevenage. They could be joined by Crawley next year if they win promotion from the Conference. But Harlow are in the Ryman Division One North and Basildon are even further down the non-league pyramid.