Club rebukes council for not funding Wembley trip
GoogleA football club has criticised its local council after it refused to help pay for coaches to take fans to the FA Trophy final at Wembley.
Spennymoor Town FC had asked Spennymoor Town Council to donate £20,000 to its Back the Fans, Fill the Stands campaign, but on Tuesday councillors voted against giving away the money.
The County Durham club's managing director Ian Geldard criticised the council's decision as "disappointing" but described it as "not surprising".
The council said it wanted to prioritise ailing public infrastructure but did back plans for a civic reception and town celebrations if the team wins.
Mr Geldard said: "Our chairman, Brad Groves, has been very clear recently that change needs to come at town hall.
"We have huge aspirations as a club, but these cannot be realised without the support and backing of the local authorities."
'Simple decision'
Spennymoor has sold more than 3,200 tickets for the final, with about 400 going to fans who had taken advantage of a subsidised coach offer, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The reduced coach fare tickets were initially priced at £30 but have increased to £45 after the club said it could not afford to cover the whole discount itself.
Councillor Stephen Gilling supported donating the money and said attending Wembley "should never be limited to those who can only afford it".
"The decision is simple: we either tell the people of the town that we care about them, or we vote against this and for years to come our names will be remembered for it," he told the council.
But councillor Dean Ranyard said public facilities, such as the broken lift in the Town Hall and the "not fit for purpose" Middlestone Moor Community Centre, should be prioritised.
"I'm sure in the future the council will do all it can within its means to support the football club and its ongoing success, but I believe this, unfortunately, is not the time to be giving away public money," he said.