NO FINANCIAL REWARD FOR LFA FINAL

Last week Bacup Borough Football Club received the disappointing news that they would not be receiving any financial reward for reaching the final of the Lancashire Challenge Trophy.

This was a bitter pill to swallow for the Rossendale Valley club who over the past three seasons have successfully reached four finals and winning two of them.

BORO MANAGER IS DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LFA's DECISION

The disappointment for Bacup Borough is that in those previous finals they have been rewarded for their success with a percentage of the gate receipts taken but unfortunately the Lancashire Football Association has decided not to award any financial benefit for the clubs taking part.

In recent years Borough has played in three North West Counties League finals and on all three occasions have received a share of the gate and in turn given the club much needed funds.

So when club owner and manager Brent Peters received the message from the Lancashire Football Association stating that the club would not be receiving any financial reward for reaching the final it certainly came as a shock.

Talking to the Borough manager about the recent news, he said;

“I was absolutely flabbergasted to say the least. In fact I couldn't actually believe what I was being told. I could not believe that we had reached the final of the Lancashire Football Association’s senior competition and wouldn’t be receiving a single penny for our success.

“In our previous finals we have always been given a percentage of the gate receipts which you would feel is the right thing to do having provided a percentage of the support through the turnstile, but not according to the LFA. They feel that it’s fine and within their right to take all of the money. In my eyes this is morally wrong.”

When asking the Borough manager what he intends to do in response to the LFA decision.

“There’s very little I can do but make my feelings noted to the powers that be at the LFA. I will be writing to the Chief Executive Simon Gerrard to ask the question why he believes that clubs that reach the final don’t deserve a share of the attendance, bearing in mind that it is the two clubs taking part that provide the crowd. There were well over five hundred supporters inside the County Ground that night most of which were paying £10 entry fee. You do the sums?

“I will also be making the Chief Executive aware that all clubs that are operating at this level of the football pyramid need every single penny in order to survive. Throughout a season there are not that many opportunities for clubs to gain financial rewards but you would expect that those that work in the corridors of power at the Counties Football Association would already understand this. As I said before. This is morally wrong and it needs addressing.”