Success on the horizon?

Two and a half months time and we're at the end of what seems to be a very long season. A long way from this sunny picture of Crabtree Park but Wick could be ending with some success.

Without much football played in January, times have been tough and once again it's proved to me that even at this much lower level money is the talker. Having made great strides earlier in the season to improve the club's financial position, the last two months have pushed us back to square one, although not all doom and gloom we have made some nice inroads into the utility bills which fingers crossed will be cleared and under control by the time the season ends.

We've managed to gain some new sponsorship including a main sponsor for the rest of this season and for 2019/20, which has helped just keep the wolf from the door. Now the weather has subsided and we're back playing football, the bank has seen some funds at last, not a great amount but we start again trying to get things stabilised. We know we need a reasonably healthy level because as soon as the season ends then it's time to think again about the things that need replacing or repairing, including the pitch which we know has to be in the same pristine condition it began this season, especially as the teams we have sharing with us this season are keen to be involved again next season, another help with the cashflow throughout the season.

We're trying new things still as we have done all season to make a difference, a Ladies Night booked in for the end of the season in aid of Breast Cancer and a new 50 club which starts this month. There's a charity match booked in for the beginning of next month, our local McDonalds raising money for their own charity and there is one more in the pipeline at the end of the season against higher profile opposition (but not too high!). We tried something different for last night's cup game, being half term we went for free entry for Under 16's and we saw an increased gate by around an extra 40 people.

We've gone one further though, another first time try for us, 2000 flyers are on their way into homes across Wick and Littlehampton in the next two weeks giving free entry to a game with the leaflet. It also highlights the clubhouse hire on the other side, I don't think anyone can say we're not doing enough to get people through our doors to watch football and use the club!

On the pitch, the squad led by Dan Cox and Luke Cooper pulled off a fantastic cup win to move into the Division One Cup semi finals where we'll face Hailsham Town, date and time to be advised hopefully soon. We were visited by a Sussex groundhopper and blogger too, who captured the winning goal scored 3 minutes from time by Shane Brazil on video, his link I'll post at the end of this, worth a read of the article and enjoy the goal.

Our management pair have done well in what has been an up and down season both on and off the pitch, I won't lie in saying I've found it fun or enjoyable despite the amount of articles it has given me for this blog and I hope you've enjoyed reading them, but I will be going back to what I enjoy, social media and publicising the club. A cup final would be the icing on the cake, but the fact we'll survive the season on and off the field and hopefully be in a better shape by the time the final ball is kicked, that'll do for me! Over to someone else...……..

A link to David Fuller's blog piece on last night's cup game including the video of the winning goal:

https://non-leaguegroundhopper.blogspot.com/2019/02/late-free-kick-hands-victory-to-wick.html