It’s not kicking off at the Bloaters

Most of the first team at Great Yarmouth Town, known as the Bloaters, have gone on strike.  At the level of the Ridgeons Premier Division (aka the Eastern Counties League), players are normally paid in the form of expenses such as a mileage allowance.    Players are claiming that they are owed £5,000 for petrol to get to away matches (presumably there is no coach).

Most of the first team at Great Yarmouth Town, known as the Bloaters, have gone on strike.  At the level of the Ridgeons Premier Division (aka the Eastern Counties League), players are normally paid in the form of expenses such as a mileage allowance.    Players are claiming that they are owed £5,000 for petrol to get to away matches (presumably there is no coach).


The Bloaters are currently using youth team players and what is more the manager has come out in sympathy.    Paul Tong stayed away from a Norfolk Cup tie with King’s Lynn in a show of solidarity.


Assistant treasurer Arthur Fisk blames the problems on the lack of a sponsor and low crowds.   32 came to the Wellesley Ground to see the home side go down 1-2 to Histon Town Reserves, admittedly probably not the most exciting match on the calendar.


Bloaters’ officials are puzzled why they don’t get the crowds given the size of the town (the borough has a population of some 92,000 but around 47,000 in the town itself).   Perhaps the football on offer is not very attractive.   I also suspect that many football fans prefer to make the relatively short trip to Norwich to see Championship football.   Norwich dominate the county of Norfolk in a way that is relatively unusual in English football.


Like many English seaside resorts, Great Yarmouth has seen better days.   The historic fishing industry has virtually disappeared, although there has been some work related to North Sea gas.  According to figures from the local NHS trust, Great Yarmouth has the highest unemployment rate and the second worst deprivation score in the East of England.   This is not a setting in which it is easy to run a successful football club.


Arthur Fisk admits that the board has made mistakes but insists that the club will survive.   They are currently about two-thirds of the way down the Eastern Counties League which is part of Step 5 of the non-league pyramid.