.....if they win promotion to the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League at the end of the season.
West are in the thick of the title race, with several clubs all vying for the single promotion spot, but a movement up the national system could push West beyond breaking point in terms of personnel and finance.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do if we’re promoted,” said Alderson, who has carried out several roles at the club over several decades.
“We can’t afford to go up. Our costs will increase substantially if we go up – for example we will have to pay transport costs to all sorts of places. Look where Marske United and Morpeth Town are travelling this season – Marske have been to Wisbech, Spalding and Loughborough since the start of the season. I don’t know how much it’s costing them, but it will be a lot more than last season when they were in the Northern League. We’ve been told that if we don’t take promotion, then we’ll be relegated.
“We have some very good sponsors at the moment to whom we’re grateful, but we will need several more to help us – and everyone who is chasing sponsorship knows how difficult it is to persuade companies to part with their money.
“We also need more volunteers to help us out with the many jobs that need to be done – and none of us are getting any younger. I think the average of our volunteers is between 65 and 70 – we need some young blood to help us. We can’t go on forever.
“Several clubs have said to me that they are in the same position as us. If we go up, then I really am concerned about the future of the club”. |