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local football the future

while I am not defending Alan he is big enough to defend himself( Well hes not actually but that's another thread) I think ALS comments about living hand to mouth is about all clubs at this level suffering from lower gates and the reasons for that.Easy access to Televised football on TV etc.and what clubs can do to attract and keep our younger fans interested. Hope you get a copy of the mag Tez.If nothing else Al has created a debate and that's what journalism is all about
 
What a kn*b!.
At a time when its hard enough to attract new punters, they are hardly going to be rushing to watch local football after than "rave review"!!
 

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Agree - a completely missed opportunity to reach out to Northwich folk and persuade them of the positives of local football. The article is peppered with negative statements other than a bit of passing praise for the volunteers behind the scenes. Not even a reference to the upcoming Non-League Day.
 
It is good to see Mr Lowe has put an apology in Our Town for his inaccuracies on 1874 Northwich after I complained to the Paper.
 
A strange piece that comes from a WAFC supporter who will not come to games because we groundshare with NVFC !

Just to add my two pennyworth................ In all walks of life, in all sorts of clubs and societies, the number of willing volunteers is rapidly declining. Personal experience indicates that those clubs that remain are supported and managed by an ever dwindling bunch of ageing enthusiasts who are gradually coming to the end of their collective tether. There some exceptions - inevitably there always is as if to disprove the rule and to keep us thinking the next generation will keep what we hold dear so safe. At some point that's not going to happen. At that point its no use hiding behind balance sheets, company structures or land registry ownership when the house roof has fallen in and the pantry is empty. There is a collective good to be cherished in the ashes of mid Cheshire football. The question is how to rekindle the fire.
 
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I agree with a lot you say Knutsfordian, maybe someone out there can come up with the answer.
 
By being a community club maybe?
And also by having a sustainable junior & youth setup
 
Don't disagree with the values - but not sure that's enough? In this age values isn't enough in my view. I think that a much wider, more inclusive vision is needed to be a driver, attract interest and to maintain non league football as part of the community. Years ago Broken Cross had a great Sunday League football team. Where are they now? Our senior teams are going the same way. long live rivalry, just hope local football lives longer !!
 
Edge that's really admirable and an honest and admirable point of view - but my point is that in this day and age - is that enough? I don't think so. I'm not being confrontational. Far from it. It's just not enough to form the basis for successful football teams in our era. We need more and we need more impetus than good practice and "doing the right thing" can give us. Doing the same thing as many others have done doesn't mean we/you have the right answer. It just means we are blindly following a path laid by others. Don't follow the herd. Be different.Set the trend - and in that vision lies a path forwards. Be different, be strong, be new and dare to be challenging. Just being another fan owned club will lead to a rock on which others have floundered too. This isn't WAFC or NVFC have the answer or 1874 don't. But at the moment neither do any of us and in that is the conundrum. Just what do we do to improve the fortunes of all our team and football in mid Cheshire, because despite the promise of investment in women.s football , everything else is dying in its boots?
 
Knutsfordian, what is a measure of a successful team in mid-Cheshire? If we were to gain promotion twice in the next few years and have attendances of 200-250? ???? If Witton were to play in the National League and become a professional outfit? What is it that stepping up a few levels achieves?

Our last fixture was ONLY our 300th competitive game. We've got a lot of work to do to stamp our name in the local area. This will take time. Operating from Winsford has been detrimental but we're still here and committed to making it work.

If you were to ask around our fanbase you may be surprised to find many of our supporters are actually happy with what they've got. They have a say in how the club is run and part of the appeal is the level it is currently at and the affordability that comes with it - they feel like they matter. People also like the relations they have with players and management. Those aren’t the views of everyone though, some don’t think we are anything like commercially active enough but acknowledge there are understandable restraints due to us having no home.

Does mid-Cheshire even want a successful team? The biggest problem IMO is that mid-Cheshire just isn’t interested. WAFC and NVFC (or should I say the way they have been run) has a lot to answer for that. They were household names in the town for decades and look at them both now. So, “Be different, be strong, be new and dare to be challenging” is a bit patronising to us considering 1874 was boldly set up by supporters wanting change. You could also argue that a hallmark of local football attitude is the lack of mid-Cheshire based footballers playing at a high level compared to similar size areas. We can also expand on that into the fall from grace of the Moss Farm 7’s, the Saturday and mid-Cheshire Sunday Leagues.

There are success stories at the these levels. Prescot Cables, Atherton Colls and Colne - just a few examples on how a similar-ish size towns are in a state of current success due to community involvement, increasing attendances and support from local businesses (but all have town centre grounds). All three generally utilise local footballers. They have younger supporters involved on the committee who are socially conscious. All three have had that upturn in the six years we’ve been going. Is it going to happen for us at Barnton? I dunno mate! But as I wrote higher up, the biggest problem IMO is that mid Cheshire just isn’t interested. Our model is positive though - we want to engage with local charities, give young players a platform to play at after youth football with our development team and hope they progress to first team. This in itself might not be enough to change mindsets but what hope do we have against Premier League, FIFA, Sky, BT and the £,£££,£££.00s?
 
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Just to repeat what I said earlier - this isn't a critique of the rights and wrongs of 1874. Far from it. The point being that all the teams in our locale are operating at a level that's way below the level required to stir the bones and generate interest in local football for future generations. Lots of clubs are community clubs, Lots of clubs are members clubs. Lots of clubs aspire to be be well run, support charities, be friendly and supportive of those that work within them. My question is - is this enough? There are lots of clubs and societies treading this path and slowly dying on their feet with dwindling support and kept going by a dwindling band of die hard supporters. By all means continue to do as you want to do (that's not for me to question in itself), but will this ensure a club for future generations? Do you really want to be a Prescott, Atherton or Colne? Is that what mid Cheshire football is now? And that is the root of the question - its not about 1874 or NVFC or WAFC but about a thriving football community in mid Cheshire that is slowly and indisputably in terminal decline.
 
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