Kentish Football

SAVE THE WINGS CAMPAIGN: ONE LAST PUSH AND WE’RE THERE! - TARGET IS NOW £6,312

Wednesday 08th December 2010
WELLING UNITED player-manager Jamie Day paid tribute to the club’s EXCELLENT supporters for their HEROIC efforts to raise the £60,000 to prevent the Kent club being wound-up at The High Court in central London next week, writes Stephen McCartney.

Supporters have raised a staggering £52,400 and have only £7,600 left to raise by the close of business next Tuesday, 14 December to save the club from going out of business.


Faced with an almighty challenge, fans have rallied together to raise the funds, which are being stored in loan agreement funds with the club’s Norwich based solicitors.

But the battle has not yet been won yet - and Day urges all football supporters to give it one more final push so his players can travel to Luton Town on Sunday knowing that they will turn out at Boreham Wood in Blue Square Bet South six days later.

Football fans in Kent are the BEST anywhere in England.  Let’s all dig deep and make one final effort before the weekend to ensure the Wings secure their biggest ever victory.

One rival fan, who supporters Welling’s Kent rivals Bromley, said: “I don’t like Welling one bit and that’s exactly the reason I don’t want to see them wound up.  Local rivalry is all part of non-league football.  We need some good local derbies.”

Day urges all football fans to keep raising the funds to ensure healthy rivalry continues.

“I think the most important thing at the minute, obviously, is getting the tax bill paid on Monday,” Day told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“Obviously the players are focused on Sunday’s game, but they have the tax thing on their mind but as long as we get that paid that’s the main thing at this stage.

“The fans have been first class, they’ve raised a good sum of money and still are and probably still will up to Monday.

“If it wasn’t for their contribution we’d be in a lot worse situation we’re in now.  Hopefully with their help we can raise the funds to have enough money on Monday to have paid the bill.

“I’m confident that it will be sorted out, hopefully it will be ok.”

Welling United owner Barrie Hobbins, meanwhile, told BBC’s Non-League Show that he is pleased with the positive reaction.

He said: "I'm quite optimistic and my confidence has been growing over the weekend.

"We've had some wonderful responses from people who are still very much with us - the supporters have been magnificent, so we have to be far more optimistic than we were this time last week. 

"I think we can certainly do it, but having been let down over the past three months by two investors at a very late stage I don't want to be making any promises to anybody." 

If they do manage to fight off the winding up order, then Mr Hobbins has promised those supporters who give financial aid a bigger say in the club's future. 

He said: "Their money goes into a holding account until we see how much we've got.  That money will not be lost - if the worst happened to the club and it did not survive Wednesday week then the supporters would have their money returned. 

"The only sufferers will obviously be the football club. 

"But in the event of us being successful and finding the necessary money then there would be a re-structuring and the supporters would have a say." 

Hobbins - who with his brother - started Welling United as an Under-15 team in 1963, says their players and manager have dealt well with the club's situation. 

"Jamie Day has been superb, as we're running on a registration embargo," said Mr Hobbins. 

"There's been no fuss from the players.  They weren't paid this week as we didn't have a game at the weekend but they've been paid all the way along the line up to last week. 

"They've done the business on the field - obviously none of it is their fault and I've got no grumbles at all with the way they've reacted. 

"They appear to be fully behind the club and you can't ask more than what they've achieved this season - given the difficulties.”

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP KEEP WELLING UNITED IN BUSINESS:

LOAN AGREEMENT 
It has been suggested to the Club that a number of fans may be prepared to offer a loan to the Club to play a part in saving Welling United. If you would like to assist in saving the Club in this way a short loan agreement has been constructed for your benefit.

As you are aware, the Club is facing challenging times and currently has financial difficulties. This has resulted in HM Revenue & Customs petitioning for the winding-up of the Club. If the Club fails to find the necessary funds to satisfy HMRC’s petition debt by 15 December 2010 the court will have no realistic alternative but to grant a winding-up order. The consequence of a winding-up order being made are obvious; Welling United will join the list of clubs (which include Chester, Ilkeston Town and King’s Lynn) to have ceased to exist at the hands of HMRC.

You will note from the agreement that any financial support that you provide will be combined to any other loans provided by loyal fans and used solely for the purpose of clearing the debt owed to HMRC as at 15 December 2010. Should insufficient funds be raised by 15 December 2010 for this purpose then your loan will remain in Leathes Prior’s client account on trust and will be repaid to you at your request.

For full details visit

(Cheques are no longer advisable)

SPONSORSHIP DRAW
Whilst the Club do not want to detract from the efforts to raise funds by way of the loan agreement, the Club must also prepare for what they hope to be a successful conclusion to our hearing next Wednesday (15 December 2010).

With this in mind the club want to confirm the launch of the Shirt Sponsor Draw which will take place at the Bromley Game (subject to a minimum of 100 tickets being sold). Quite simply by paying £50 plus VAT and answering 3 simple questions about the Club you or your business could have your name on the Club’s shirt for the rest of the season as well as having all the hospitality that the main sponsor receives.

How to Buy Tickets
If they then want to buy tickets you should then email Nicole Whitehead who is the Sponsorship Coordinator at marketing@wellingunited.com  with their contact details and she will do the rest.

The Club has a target of 240 and as with the loans we will publish performance against on a regular basis.

Should you have any queries or are willing to donate, then please contact the club’s solicitors Leathes Prior direct:

Dan Chapman: 
Tel: 01603 610 911
Email: dchapman@leathesprior.co.uk

Welling United can be contacted on 0208 301 1196

Please mention that you read this article on www.kentishfootball.co.uk when making contact with both parties.

TOGETHER WE WILL WIN THIS BATTLE!








 

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