Latest news with #SpennymoorTownCouncil
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Spennymoor Town FC fan pays £1,000 to get others to Wembley final
Fan pays £1,000 to get others to Wembley final 10 minutes ago Share Save Gemma Sherlock BBC News, North East and Cumbria Share Save Spennymoor Town FC Gary Finley, left, donated £1,000, to help fans watch Spennymoor FC at Wembley A football fan has paid £1,000 to help others travel to Wembley for an FA Trophy final. Lifelong Spennymoor Town FC fan Gary Finley said he had to "follow his heart" and pay transport costs for more than 65 fans going to watch their team play Aldershot Town on Sunday. It comes after Spennymoor Town Council refused to help the club pay for fans to travel to the final as part of their Back the Fans and Pack the Stands campaign. The council said it wanted to prioritise money on ailing public infrastructure, but admitted plans were being worked on for a civic reception and celebrations should the Moors win. Google Spennymoor Town FC are headed to Wembley for the FA Trophy Final The club had already paid for some fans to get to the final as part of its campaign but had asked the council to consider allocating up to £20,000 from its general reserves. The Back The Fans, Fill the Stands campaign allows people and businesses to donate directly to the club's PayPal account, with all donations going towards fan transport to Wembley. Mr Finley said while it was "fantastic" seeing the club support fans, its purse strings were tight. "I just want to help the club get the best backing they can by contributing financially," he added. "It would be fantastic to see as many Moors fans as possible to see their heroes play, and hopefully win, at Wembley. "Our family has been loyal supporters of our hometown club for decades and my son is the club's under-18s supporters' representative, so we just want all fans of all ages to see the lads play on the hallowed turf and bring the trophy home." Spennymoor beat Rochdale AFC 5-4 on penalties to secure their place in the FA Trophy final. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Spennymoor Town FC rebukes council over Wembley trip cash plea
A football club has criticised its local council after it refused to help pay for coaches to take fans to the FA Trophy final at 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 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 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 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. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Spennymoor Town FC fans' Wembley travel plea rejected by council
Councillors have refused to help pay towards travel costs for football fans heading to Wembley for the FA Trophy Town FC had appealed for donations towards coach travel to help as many locals as possible attend their historic fixture against Aldershot Town on 11 of County Durham's Spennymoor Town Council were asked to consider allocating up to £20,000 from its general reserves for the "Back the Fans and Pack the Stands" council, which voted against the plea, said it was "already working on plans for a civic reception and other celebrations in the town" should the Moors win. Spennymoor's partnerships manager Stephen Gilling said he wanted everyone from the "council to the corner shop" to chip in to make travel told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that asking local businesses and organisations to pay for coaches would help "create a wall of black and white to roar the players on".The team booked its place in the final after a historic 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over Rochdale in April, and next month's showdown will mark the National League North team's second visit to Wembley since winning the FA Vase in then, several thousand fans travelled to witness their side's 2-1 win over Tunbridge Wells, after which an open-top bus parade made its way through the town's bunting-covered streets. However, despite a town council report having revealed that a £10,000 travel subsidy and another £10,000 towards victory celebrations would cost less than two pound per household, councillors voted not to that it continued to support Spennymoor Town FC's trophy efforts, a spokesperson for the council said: "We are already working on plans for a civic reception and other celebrations in the town to mark the Moors' triumphant return."Further details will be published after 11 May." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
