We have to dig into our pockets to keep the club going, says Firkins

Sunday 25th April 2010

GREENWICH BOROUGH manager/secretary Steve Firkins says the financially struggling club are searching for investors to keep the homeless club going, writes Stephen McCartney.

Finishing in fifth place in the Bulmers Cider Kent League was a marvellous achievement by the club - who average crowds of just 31 at Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground in Bromley.

Greenwich Borough - the club that send striker Ian Wright on his way to fame and fortune - were forced out of their modest Harrow Meadow ground in Eltham last summer as Greenwich Council decided to take away the lease from the club to build houses on the site.

The club tied up a three-year deal to groundshare at their Kent League rivals Holmesdale and the management and a small band of club officials delve into their pockets to keep the club going.

A crowd of just 20 watched Firkins’ men complete their 30-match Kent League campaign with a 2-1 home win over Deal Town yesterday and finishing the highest of the amateur sides in the division can go down as a success.

Greenwich Borough also impressed during the Kent Senior Trophy final, but they were defeated 2-1 by promoted champions Faversham Town at Welling United’s Park View Road seven days ago.

When asked whether it was worth keep Kent’s smallest football club going, Firkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk : “I don’t know, you better ask my wife! She tells me off every week but she’s apart of it now anyway. She’s down there doing the cooking, same as Bill Walton’s wife Stella. Without them we wouldn’t be able to operate at all. We love our football.”

Firkins would like to hear from wealthy businessmen who are willing to keep the club competitive.

“You know the situation down here,” he said. “It’s hard every week, we’re dipping in our pockets, anything from a tenner to £100. If anything needs buying wee have to go out and buy it. We had to go out and buy the (white) shorts and socks that we wore for the Kent Senior Trophy Final for the colour clash.

“We’ve got a few bits and pieces for the pennants for the opposition and one for ourselves for memorabilia.”

Firkins revealed that Greenwich Borough will remain in the Kent League next season, despite their nomadic existence.

“All the fella’s (players) want to stay together,” he said. “If we can try and entice anybody to put a bit of money into the club then obviously we’ll try. That’s our aim. It’s really, really hard. We’re just coming out of recession, people are holding onto every penny.”

For the time being, Greenwich Borough will be playing their football at Oakley Road.

“We did enquire about the stadium (Sutcliffe Park) just along at the running track there. I found out it was offered to Greenwich Borough years ago but for some reason it was turned away.

“We did make enquires but that’s how far it’s gone. There’s obviously issues there somewhere along the line. I don’t know. There’s obviously a pitch issue there because some of the pitch has been taken up by athletics so the pitch is not of a regulation standard.”

Reflecting on nine-months of football, Firkins added: “I am disappointed with out league form. We’ve let games go when we should’ve shored up a little bit. We’ve given silly goals away. Maybe it’s a bit of naivety but you can’t keep using that as an excuse. We weren’t good enough and that’s proved it.

“I think you’ve got to look at it as a progression more than anything. We’ve worked hard on our limited resources. I think people have started to realise we’re not a bad side and we do try and play football.

“We’re not thugs or villains, we’re just normal people who want to try and keep the football club alive and that’s what we’re trying to do at the moment.”

Meanwhile, back on the pitch, Firkins is already planning for next season and would like to see the new talent that is about in the local area.

There will be two early trial matches, the first of which will be on Saturday, 1st May, at their training ground at the EDF Energy Leisure Sports Club, 87-91 Footscray Road, Eltham SE9 2SY.

For further details on training, or investing in the club, please email Steve Firkins s.firkins@hotmail.co.uk - please mention that you read this article on www.kentishfootball.co.uk.