Planning for the future: Worsbrough Bridge chairman Jonathan Cotterill-Bolsover
Ask Jonathan Cotterill-Bolsover what he wants to see at Worsbrough Bridge in the future and the answer is simple.
The new Worsbrough chairman is determined to see his club become a focal point of the community and the plan is to see hundreds of people of all ages using the facilities each week.
Not just playing football, anything from fencing to cricket or just helping with jobs that keep the club and ground functioning.
The future is not about ploughing money into the Toolstation NCEL Division One side and chasing promotion after promotion.
It is about giving opportunities as well having patience and long-term development.
“I’m not the type of chairman who is going to come and throw a lot of money into the team,” 37-year-old Jonathan tells Non League Yorkshire.
“I’m not in a position to do that. What I can bring is a good sustainable financial future.
“We can start to put training courses on for the community and start to build an academy with us being able to start offering qualifications.
“We can start to get funding directly to the club and funding through rent of the space and funding through the setup of a junior club
“For a start, we didn’t have a junior setup and that’s the first thing I’ve changed.
“We will have one from next season and I’m hoping to add two new teams every season.
“It will take five or six years to build it up.”
He has a track record of building sports projects. He is the managing director of Active Educational Services and his company provide a range of educational services for schools.
Jonathan admits that Worsbrough can benefit from his company and in turn his company can benefit from the football club.
However, he has not just walked off the street and sensed a golden opportunity.
He may have been born in Sheffield, but his home has been in Barnsley for the past 12 years and he is no stranger to Worsbrough.
Until his appointment in February, he had been around for three years as the goalkeeping coach of the club’s under 19s and reserve teams.
He openly admits there was scepticism when he was appointed. That is no shock as the previous incumbent John Cooper had been in the role for 30 years.
“The very simple reason is I love the club and I saw an opportunity to grow it,” Jonathan says when probed about why he wanted to become chairman of Worsbrough.
“I think it has been a bit stagnate for the last few years, I’m sure people won’t mind me saying that.
“It has needed fresh and new ideas. I put some proposals forward when the role came up and they got accepted.
“I don’t believe in dwelling, I constantly look to the future and ‘think this is the situation, how do we make it better?’
“The opportunities in Barnsley have been very few from what my company has discovered.
“We are creating those opportunities now. For instance, in the last nine months, my company has allowed 7000 school children to try fencing for the first time.
“As far as football goes, it is tough to persuade people to come and volunteer.
“We’re putting some substance to that. We’re going to offer qualifications so people can come down and do stewarding qualifications or catering, health and safety qualifications.
“I’m hoping to start working with Voluntary Action in Barnsley to start getting volunteers that way.
“I want to get a community feel about it again.
“Worsbrough is within a deprived community. It is one of the most deprived areas of Barnsley or this side of town is, but from my experience it is a wonderful community.
“It was a great place once and I strongly believe it can be again.
“It is about putting this place as the hub of the community.”
Worsbrough chairman Jonathan Cotterill-Bolsover says it is up to Dave Mace (pictured) if he wants to carry on as the club’s manager
NCEL representative Karl Blackburn presents Worsbrough captain Danny Cawley and chairman Jonathan Cotterill-Bolsover with their Fair Play League award for February
Even in just two months, Jonathan has made his mark.
He has overseen a fencing club using the facilities along with a Saturday Soccer School – kids who help form the club’s under 9s next season.
He has been speaking to a prospective A-Licensed coach with a view to bringing more players into the fold with an older youth team.
A new commercial manager has also been appointed.
The changes and positivity are a huge difference from last summer when the club was unsure where it was heading.
Long-serving manager Chris Hilton had left and his successor Dave Mace has struggled for various reasons.
Mace has helped keep the club afloat with the loss of the previous chairman, floodlight and pitch problems, secretary Charlie Wyatt’s health problems and the departures of three assistant managers to other clubs.
“I would say this season has been a season of transition in every single aspect,” Jonathan said.
“Chris Hilton left and I think Dave Mace was in a difficult place because we lost a lot of players understandably.
“We have had coaches come and go and that happens and I think Dave Mace has done a superb job in the transition.
“The club has been at its lowest point for a long time, but that had to happen. We lost the chairman and got a new chairman, who people were unsure about.
“The secretary had a heart bypass and we had problems with the floodlights and the pitch.”
Mace has yet to decide whether to continue in the role after a stressful season.
A decision is likely after their last game at Dronfield Town next Wednesday.
“I’m not the type of chairman to throw my weight around and demand results,” adds Jonathan, indicating that the ball is in Mace’s court.
“We’re all volunteers. I’m a volunteer, Dave’s a volunteer and you don’t go around sacking hard quality coaches that are doing it for free.
“Obviously I’m going to have a philosophy for the club and the philosophy is going to be about development.
“I see that as a sustainable future and if Dave wants to be part of that, that’s up to him.”
Mace has to decide whether he wants to be part of the many changes that will take place at Worsbrough over the summer.
Jonathan has the track record of delivering successful sports projects and if Worsbrough want a successful future then they have to listen to him.