We do the best we can with the resources we have available, says Fisher boss Gary Lisney

FISHER boss Gary Lisney warns the club will struggle financially during their nomadic existence groundsharing with Ryman League club Dulwich Hamlet, writes Stephen McCartney.


The Fish go into their last Kent League game of a very disappointing campaign sitting second-from-bottom in the table and Lisney wants his side to finish in style when Sevenoaks Town visit Champion Hill on Saturday.

The two-year-old club, formed hastily after the sad demise of then Blue Square Bet South club Fisher Athletic, pay their landlords £300 per game and despite attracting average crowds of 96, struggle to make ends meet.

A 3-0 defeat to second-placed Herne Bay on Easter Saturday stretched the club’s winless run to eight games, and Lisney said, “Of course, football’s all about results.  I’m not naive to know not about that.

”But as I said when I took the job, it is a long-term project and we are treading water frankly until we can get our own ground.  Everybody knows the financial situation, it’s difficult.

”Last year we probably had a little bit of a moderate season on the back of a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of good feeling of getting the club back and playing again and we’ve got a decent stadium.

”This year has proved very, very difficult, but I still maintain the league’s stronger this year than it was last year personally.”

Lisney added, “It’s very difficult, but we’re under no illusions and certainly I know it’s a longer term project. 

The Fisher boss insisted the club will not follow the same destructive path of Fisher Athletic – spending money that they didn’t have.

”The committee have done a great job with off-the-field activities but a priority of mine would try and get the youth sides back involved so we actually have some players with an affinity with the club and actually want to play for this club and play for this club in their informative years so they can come into adults’ football and hit the ground running.

”It’s brilliant to get 100 fans down here for home games but how many could we get if we was at home?  If we was at home how many could we get?  I don’t know how many of the 100 or so have supported Fisher for years from the Bermondsey area? I don’t know. It’s probably a number.

”But if we could get back to Bermondsey could we get 150-200 through the gate.  Could we generate a little bit of revenue and even if it’s not quite like the Hythe’s or the Herne Bay’s of the world, anything would certainly be better than what we’ve got now.

”Having said that, we understand what the situation is.  We’ll get on with it and do the best we can with the resources we have available.”

But an emotional return home is a long way off for Fisher.

”Everybody understands it’s what we’re aiming for and what we’re working towards and everybody understands how important it is but there’s no magic pill,” said Lisney.

”There’s no benefactor in the background with a few million quid wanting to build us a stadium but to be fair I don’t think that will be such a good idea anyway – the club has been down that road once and pumped money in and yes, you pump money in – Hythe will tell you.  You can get good players and you can climb up the league’s but unless it’s sustainable what’s the point because you’re just going to go back to where we are now.”

Visit Fisher’s website:  www.fisherfc.co.uk

Fisher  v  Sevenoaks Town
Safety Net Associates Kent League
Saturday 30^th April 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Champion Hill Stadium, Dog Kennel Hill, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD