This year have put very high stress on clubs to keep their noses above the waterline. Without any real incoming money flow, many clubs will struggle for at least this or maybe even several upcoming seasons. It is in times like this I am proud to be a Walsall FC supporter. Say what you want about Jeff Bonser and the benefits he got from running the club. He never put the club at risk and, during many many years, he and his co-workers at the club laid the foundation. Walsall FC is known for being a financial well-run club. We have never overspent or paid more than we could like other clubs have done and that we have begun to see the reality of their overspending. The news of clubs going into administration is getting more and more common because the last few years and I can imagine a few more clubs are heading this way due to Covid-19 and from many years of bad financial management.
Bonser might have put himself first and the club second in many decisions, the stadium rent as an example. But I do not doubt that he always wanted the club to survive. With Pomlett getting the control last year we have seen some minor changes in how the club is run. I’m pretty sure the financial management and the clubs future is in good hands with the new owner. After a rough first year with a few unpredicted events, we will get through this stronger than many other clubs, thanks to years of solid financial control.
I’m proud to be part of a family-oriented well run club with a small but solid fan base. My wish when the season finally kicks off is that as many as possible get back to the Bescot to support our Walsall FC. We all want to see us promoted this season and we all know it is possible. We have to pull together and work hard as a unit, the team, owners and we supporters. If everyone has a positive mindset and see possibilities and solutions instead of problems we are in for a good season that can kickstart our climb up the league system.
But we will and should not overspend to chase a dream. It might be sweet a season or two to overspend to play in the Championship but, that could come back and haunt us when the bubble burst and all that is left is debts.
Together we can create the history that future generations will passionately remember the same way we remember events that happened during the last 100 years. Hopefully, in 100 years, Walsall FC will still exist. I wish I could be there and read what is written in the club’s history books then.
Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash
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