The future of Coalville is uncertain after the president announced his resignation

The future of a Leicestershire non-league football team is uncertain after its chairman resigned and the men’s first team quit the league. Coalville Town Football Club announced today (Friday, May 24) that the men’s first team, known as The Ravens, will be relegating from the Southern League Central Premier Division, the third tier of the English non-league pyramid.

Its long-serving chairman Glyn Rennocks has also announced he will step down from his role at the nearly century-old club. Mr Rennocks said he “can no longer continue to subsidize the club” because the cost of running it has “set up” and “revenues have not kept up with the increase in costs”.

Mr Rennocks said the girls’, juniors’, including women’s and youth teams would all continue “as normal” and would “benefit from the fantastic facilities at the Owen St sports ground which have been created over the last few years”. Coalville Town has 90 junior teams supporting almost 900 local children, Mr Rennocks added.

READ MORE: Back gardens in residential streets could have dozens of student houses built

The Ravens’ recent successes include a fairytale run to the first round of the FA Cup in 2022 after beating Notts County. They eventually lost that year to Charlton Athletic.

Mr Rennocks said in a statement on the club’s website: “I’ve always said I’m a supporter and it costs me a lot more than most to go to games. However, as I approach 70, I can no longer subsidize the club.

“I have always run it in a sustainable way, we have never cut budgets and the club is debt free, however, after much thought and discussion, I have made the difficult decision to step down. The club will withdraw its senior men’s team and resign from the Southern League with immediate effect.

“I have no doubt that this will disappoint a lot of people, none more than myself, but there is no other alternative. Along with the financial impact, the running of the club falls to a small group of people, myself, my son Luke, my wife Joy and Steve Cartwright.

“Although we have a fantastic group of volunteers on match days, it takes a huge amount of time from the four of us every day and this cannot go on. Over the course of my tenure I have taken over £140,000 in executive loans to the football club to help with infrastructure, this I will never pay back nor do I want back, but I also dread the thought of what would this total look like if i included every time i put money into the daily activity.

“As I mentioned, I’m not strengthening at all and I’m now at a point where I’d rather spend my time and effort on my family, especially my two- and three-year-old nieces – and retirement from work is appealing.” Coalville have come agonizingly close to promotion to the National League North in recent years.

In 2022, the team lost the league play-off final 2–0 to Peterborough Sports. Last year they missed out on automatic promotion by three goals and then fell short again in the playoffs.

Mr Rennocks said the club was “a real focal point for the town and the local community”. He said: “I first got involved with the club in the early 1980s when I was in the nearby village of Ravenstone.

“At the time the club was really a pub team. Over the next 40 years, the club progressed without ever suffering relegation. Along the way we enjoyed promotions, FA & FA Trophy Cup Runs, became the first club in Leicestershire. to appear at the new Wembley Stadium, but more than all that on the pitch, we have become a real focal point for the city and the local community.

“Over the last 2-3 years the costs of running a football club at this level have spiraled and the revenue has not matched the increase in costs. Also, in recent years the once fantastic support we received from North West Leicestershire District Council has diminished. “

His statement suggested that both his and the club’s relationship with the board had recently soured and that he believed it had come under an unprecedented level of “scrutiny”. Mr Rennocks said: “I think this is totally unjustified given the positive impact the club and I have had on the town, providing a facility and structure for almost 900 local children through our 90 teams of juniors to enjoy soccer training in a safe and healthy environment. , along with painting the city in a positive light through our nationally publicized success.”

“Finally I would like to thank all the great players who have represented the club, the managers, Lee Harriman, Tommy Brookbanks and Adam Stevens, who have all been unwaveringly successful and helped to make the journey enjoyable for most of time, volunteers that no club has done. can do without the magnificent supporters who have followed us up and down the country to Adams Park, Meadow Lane, Wembley Stadium and The Valley,” he added. “It was massively appreciated.

“But to those core supporters who stood by me on cold winter nights in the Leicestershire Senior League, The Midland Alliance, the Northern Premier League and the Southern League, they are the people I did it for and I thank them all. you from the bottom of my heart While I appreciate that the news will come as a huge shock, I hope that one day you will all understand and respect the decision that has been made. Thank you”

Paul Stone, Director of Resources at North West Leicestershire District Council, said: “We would like to thank Glyn for his many years of contribution to the Coalville community through his role as Chairman of Coalville Town FC and are committed to continuing our work with the club. in supporting health and wellness for the city. As is the case with councils up and down the country, we need to look very carefully at our budgets in an effort to close an estimated £4m gap.

“As such, the decision was made by councilors during this year’s budgeting process to reduce our grant to a number of organizations – including Coalville Town FC. We need a difficult financial background and the preservation of our own services for residents. to propose such changes.”

Now we bring you the latest updates on WhatsApp first