1st December 2010 Mark Stewart Wood- Cambridge News

 
The U’s scored an emphatic victory over a poor Altrincham side on Saturday ahead of a tough (in more ways than one!) away trip to South Wales and a resurgent Newport County. The Welsh side are yet another side that fell far from the football league after relegation in 1988 and subsequent liquidation less than year later. It has taken County over twenty years to get to the position where they can once again challenge for Football League status. In that time circumstances have very much changed for liquidated and ‘new’ clubs (current media heroes AFC Wimbledon and FC United very much in mind).

A study of former Conference stalwarts AFC Telford gives a little comfort to fans of all clubs struggling with a precipitous financial climate in which the old football model of generous benefactor is stretched almost to breaking point. Telford United went bust in 2004 after outside factors forced their chairman and major shareholder into business collapse with the knock on effect of taking Telford down with the rest of his assets. Liquidation was forced after huge debts were revealed but the Telford Supporters Trust were undaunted and immediately formed AFC Telford United and began life (again) in the Northern Premier League.

A new stadium and six years on Telford sit in the play off zone of the Conference North, playing in front of average attendances of over 2000 and just ahead of another ‘zombie’, club, Boston United. Recent financial results show that the reconstituted club have shown a profit in each of the last six years.

The growing influence of the fans trust movement can serve as a counter balance to the current squeeze on all aspects of financing. No longer does a club need to solely rely on cash strapped directors pouring good money after bad in last ditch attempts to save the clubs they love. There is another way, a viable alternative way forward for all football clubs. We should no longer live in fear of a black hole of oblivion destroying our clubs but embrace the future and grasp opportunity with both hands.

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