Board update Sept 2020
Being crowned National League South champions and winning promotion to the National League was a dream come true for everyone involved in our club over the years.
We have fought tooth and nail to keep this club alive and finally return to the highest level of non-league football after 32 years away. Unfortunately this fantastic achievement has become an even bigger challenge due to the impact of COVID-19.
As a club we have spent considerable amounts of money preparing our stadium for National League football and to be COVID-19 compliant so we can offer a safe environment for everyone. The latest guidance on spectators attending football is disappointing however not entirely surprising given other measures being introduced. The absence of spectators matches will have a profound and painful impact on Wealdstone FC as I’m sure it will to many other clubs.
We are in the process of completing the National League financial questionnaire in respect of the potential financial support package and we await clarity on any support to understand how severe the impact of no spectators will be on the club and what further actions we need to take to ensure the clubs is solvent and survives. We trust that any monies received will be allocated fairly and not exacerbate the financial imbalance across clubs in the division.
Our financial position is extremely challenging, we have not had a paying spectator since 7th March and our bar facility has been effectively closed for the past 6-months and despite recent efforts to reopen our bar in some form, revenue is a tiny fraction of pre-COVID-19 levels. We have taken all reasonable steps to reduce our Cost base and from the end of this month we will no longer have any paid staff at the club except the management and players. Despite these efforts, we continue to incur relatively large fixed costs and we may now have to face into actions which are far less palatable.
As our supporters know, we do not have a wealthy owner or benefactor and have relied on the power of the collective to sustain and grow the club over the years. We have done everything we believe we can in terms of accessing grants and loans and our incredible supporters have raised over £35,000 to help is put a team on the pitch. We are grateful for all sources of financial support we have received and will continue to pursue all avenues open to us.
As well as the financial impact of no spectators, this is a huge disappointment to all of us as fans who were eagerly awaiting hosting National League football at The Vale in front of record crowds and travelling the country in numbers to support our team.
Streaming and Ruislip Social Club
We will stream all our National League home matches for a price of £9.99 and have invested further in upgrading our streaming platform to support this.
Ruislip Social Club will also be showing a live stream of our home matches on ALL screens. All windows and viewing points to the pitch from within the club will be blocked off and we reiterate that NO spectators will be permitted to enter the stadium. Permitted numbers will be restricted and table service will apply. A ticket system for this will be in place with details released shortly.
Season Tickets
Clearly the current situation impacts our season ticket holders and creates a further challenge especially as there remains much uncertainty over when spectators can return and in what numbers.
Simply refunding season ticket monies in full is considered inappropriate given the lack of clarity on spectators at future matches and would have a serious impact on the clubs viability. We would like to offer all season ticket holders a free streaming pass for each home league match played behind closed doors.
Where we already have your email address you will be e-mailed with an access code directly, however all enquiries relating to season tickets and streaming passes should be directed to seasontickets@wealdstonefc.com.
StoneShare
A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to StoneShare and those who have done such a great job in setting it up and promoting it. We’re delighted that the season looks like it is going ahead from next week and this incredible support is now more important than ever. If you wish to contribute to this scheme please contact StoneShare@btinternet.com or check our website at www.wealdstone-fc.com.
We will keep you updated as and when we have relevant informational share and as always we thank all the club’s supporters, volunteers and everyone who contributes to the running of the club.