Welsh club where Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross played on brink of extinction

 

Members of Buckley Town Council expressed their shock at the plight facing troubled Buckley Town FC, which could be forced to fold after nearly 130 years of existence.

The Welsh League club, formed in 1887, may close at the end of the season unless sponsorship and volunteers can be found.

During a meeting on Tuesday, accountant Darryl Davies, who is helping the club, said the long-term vision was to get a 3G pitch for the club. But in the short term, financial assistance was needed.

Councillors agreed to sit down and discuss the situation with Mr Davies and see if they could offer any financial support to keep the club from folding.

Cllr Richard Jones said it was vital the club was kept running.

He said: “They need an injection of cash, around £10,000 over the next 12 months, to balance the books and they also need volunteers which is probably the most difficult issue.

“We could do something unsustainable like offer them some money but that’s not going to do their sustainability any good.

“We need to find a way to make it sustainable. I think Buckley Town Council should offer sponsorship.”

Cllr Ron Hampson said it would be “unthinkable” for Buckley not to have its own football club.

He said: “It is very difficult to run a football club now but I think it would be terrible to lose it and we have a great ground there now.

“I think it is going to be difficult for them to get volunteers there but we should make some sort of gesture.

“I think people in the town are proud of the football club and it would be an absolute disgrace if we lost the football club.”

KJ