Latest news with #StephenGilling
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.
BBC News
14-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Spennymoor Town FC starts campaign to help fans travel to Wembley
A football club has launched a campaign to help its fans travel to Wembley to watch it play in the FA Trophy Town FC are set to play Aldershot Town on 11 May and the club has said it wants as many of its fans as possible to be there in has launched the Back The Fans, Fill the Stands campaign to pay for coaches to take fans to partnerships manager Stephen Gilling said he wanted everyone from the "council to the corner shop" to chip in to make travel affordable. He said he was asking local businesses and sponsors to pay for coaches to help "create a wall of black and white to roar the players on"."I'm now asking for them to back the club and its fans in any way they can with this campaign and play a real part in what is a historic occasion for everyone in the town," Mr Gilling said. The club has already subsidised coach travel to a number of away fixtures throughout 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. Spennymoor beat Rochdale AFC 5-4 on penalties to secure their place in the FA Trophy Rochdale later condemned a pitch invasion which took place after the final whistle and led to "unacceptable behaviour" from fans from both teams. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
