Treasurer’s Report - January 2025
January can be a tough month for many; however, supporters of Nuneaton Town FC continued to pour through the turnstiles at The Oval. A January with four home games can be far from ideal for non-league clubs, but an average of four hundred across the three league games and a fantastic turnout for the semi-final of the Midweek Floodlight Challenge Cup was nothing short of brilliant. I hope the 100% record on the pitch was a reward for the fans’ dedication. And if that was not enough, surely a cup final at Walsall FC’s 11,000-capacity Bescot Stadium is something to look forward to!
The Smethwick Rangers semi-final, being another “bonus” game, again had all net proceeds pledged to the “Back to Nuneaton” fund, raising £1,008 to add to the £4,125 raised from the match receipts above the 200-attendance figure across the three league games. Donations, including £1,200 from the Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative 200 Club proceeds, brought the total ring-fenced during January to £6,520.
Total turnover for the month, including donations, was £11,607, which included another £1,800 of merchandise sales—an astounding figure.
In terms of expenditure, we incurred £9,389 in direct costs during January, which covered:
Four playing weeks’ players and coaches’ remuneration
Matchday ground hire
Training facility hire.
Physio fees and equipment costs
Matchday security and safety costs
Matchday officials’ fees and expenses
Post-match catering costs (required by the league)
Merchandise cost of sales
Programme printing and matchday fundraising ticket costs.
The booking of coach travel for the Cradley Town game
We also incurred administrative expenses of £125, which included:
Website hosting costs
Subscription to the club’s finance system (Xero)
Payroll processing costs
Printing and stationery costs
Transaction fees charged by payment platforms (SumUp & Stripe)
This meant the club achieved an operating profit (surplus) slightly above the prediction in my last update, coming in at £2,093 (expected: £2,000). Year to date, the operating profit stands at a healthy £44,742.
As well as the club’s normal operating activities—running a community football club—we also have the challenge of establishing a stadium of our own back in Nuneaton. As any expenditure relating to this project falls outside the usual operation of the club, we will report these as exceptional costs. We will also report two different profit figures: operating profit, which measures the performance of running the club, and net profit, which includes the additional expenses relating to returning to Nuneaton.
During January, I am delighted to say we reached our first milestone and have commissioned expert football ground architects FWP Limited to conduct feasibility studies into potential sites. We have committed £4,000 to this endeavour.
What to expect in February
February brings two home games and three away games, with four weeks of playing costs, so I expect the club to break even across the month.
We also have another coach trip, this time to Cradley, but as the trip has been subsidised by “The Canalsiders,” we decided to minimise the cost of travel for supporters. Therefore, the club will only make a small surplus if all seats sell and this surplus will, of course, be placed into the “Back to Nuneaton” fund.
Looking further ahead, we will be looking to arrange coach travel to the final on 30th April, with tickets going on sale in early April.
Back to Nuneaton update
During January, we were able to add a massive £6,520 to the fund, making a total of £31,840 raised so far.
This is now £6,840 above our initial target, so as stated above, we have been able to formally kick off “Back to Nuneaton” by commissioning site feasibility studies, committing £4,000 from the money raised so far.
Once we identify a feasible site, we will also be able to set the next goal for the totalizer. In the meantime, it is important we all stay focused and keep the total ticking up.
We will endeavour to give an update on the progress of the feasibility studies at the next fans forum at the Stockingford Pavilion (the Piv) on the 12th March. Please keep your eye out on our website or social media for more details on this event.
Including the £4,000 committed so far, we now have a net surplus (profit) year to date of £40,742. As discussed last month, some of this surplus is restricted for “Back to Nuneaton”—currently, this figure stands at £27,840, which is the £31,840 raised so far minus the £4,000 committed to the feasibility studies. The remaining £12,902 is unrestricted and, for now, will be held in reserve.
How can I help?
There are several ways that fans and local businesses can help support the club:
Support the club by attending games and encouraging others to do so!
While at games, please consider purchasing a 50/50 draw or Golden Goal ticket.
Join the NTSC 200 club. This is a great way of supporting the club financially, whilst give you the chance to win monthly cash prizes. This now contributes to the “Back to Nuneaton” fund. You can take part in the 200 Club online by clicking this link: Join the 200 Club
Join the Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative. Not only will you be helping the Co-op fulfil its duty as part owner of the club, but you will also be able to hold the Co-op board members and club officials appointed by the Co-op to account (including me). Look out for further information about the new season membership drive and further information on how you can get involved in both the Co-op and the club. You can join the Co-op online by linking this link: Join the Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative.
If you are a local business and would like to become a sponsor, reach out to commercial@nuneatontownfc.co.uk to discuss taking one of our great packages.
