Staveley boss Brett Marshall slams ‘struggling’ clubs who have made big-name signings

Staveley Miners Welfare manager Brett Marshall has hit out at clubs who have launched ‘save our clubs’ fundraisers, but then announced big-name signings.

Since government restrictions were placed on Non League clubs across the country, many have chosen to seek financial assistance via online fundraising pages.

But a handful have caused upset by revealing major signings several weeks later. Many people have also questioned how ‘struggling’ clubs can even plan a budget if, one they need financial support, two they don’t know when the new season will even start?

Marshall, who reckons Non League football will resume in October at the earliest, is very angry with certain clubs.

“The whole thing comes down to transparency for me,” Marshall told Non League Yorkshire.

“A lot of football clubs are putting out (fundraising) pages with words like ‘help the football club survive’ and then six-or-eight weeks later putting players on contract. I think it is diabolical and disgraceful.

“There is football clubs who need help and support. You can see that. There are people who work tirelessly, especially at Step 5 where we are. Pete (Goodlad) at Athersley, his heart and soul is at the club. 

“People like Pete need help and support, but then you have other people who’d play Tinklywinks in the street if they could put another £200 in. If football club put that they have a financial deficit or hole in their model to survive at the level we are playing at, that’s what people are donating to do.

“When people are donating their hard-earned money over and it is so they can pay player wages, that’s where it is wrong for me. That money could go to a charity or a family that is struggling.

“I get the vibe from people I speak that people have got wise to it. If you can afford to pay someone £500 to play and want to put them on 12 month rolling contract, you go and do it. 

“But don’t expect the general public to support you when you’ve told them a pack of lies as to why you want that money coming into your football club. People have long memories. Football Clubs are each to their own and they will do what they see fit, but some things don’t sit well with me and a lot of people.”

He added: “Social distancing could be the biggest problem you have going forward and it could be a catch 22 for clubs if they put in rules and regulations in for footballers, but not for the crowd.

“So how would Non League teams feel about playing football behind closed doors where there is no revenue coming in. If clubs are paying expenses to players who may be on contract, they’ll have to pay expenses, but have no money coming in.

“How can you plan a budget if you don’t what rules and regulations will be in place?”

Staveley were one of the clubs who were affected by the FA’s decision to null and void results from Step 3 leagues downwards.

Marshall, whose side stood a good chance of promotion, is over that decision, but he wants the FA to restructure the leagues now rather than next year. He feels it is a necessity for clubs for financial and logistical reasons and he is surprised the FA are sitting on their hands.

“This year when they were meant to add the new leagues in,” he said.

“The biggest problem that people had was the decision to null and void the season which I think was done within six days. It was almost a throwaway (decision by the FA) to say throw them (steps 3 downwards) to one side. I think that will continue to happen until decisions are made at step one or two. 

“The FA have never had a better time to add those new leagues in. Regardless of promotion and relegation, if they want to reduce the travel and the number of teams in leagues, they’re never going to have a longer period of time to work things out than now.

“Null and void, all that, it has gone, you have to accept it and more on. Some winners and losers.

“From our point of view, to cut down in travelling and number of games is essential. The weather isn’t going to get any better and if we start at the earliest in October, it is the worst weather coming in and in our league you expect 38 league games to be played?

“That isn’t going to happen as you’re going to get to March and teams are going to have 15 or 18 games left, plus cups maybe. 

“When the FA get back to work they really need to look at it and make a decision. Like you said there, Silsden to Bridlington midweek is horrific.

“In the modern world with the modern weather, I don’t think you should have leagues with more than 18 teams. You look at the teams on the map and I don’t see how they come to some decisions. There is enough clubs and areas to sit down and work out more logistical support for local football clubs.

“It all comes back to overheads and costs for travel. Travel plus referee fees is probably in excess of £7,000, that’s just for those two overheads. 

“You have got to find that and that’s where your fundraising page comes in, not so you can get Joe Brown who has scored 45 goals in the league lower or above.”

A few managers have already spoken about player wages and how they expect them to be lower when next season starts. Marshall believes clubs will still pay big bucks and he is more concerned with clubs over-stretching themselves financially and putting themselves in a position of jeopardy.

“It is the have got and have nots, and I think money will be there because clubs, not for the first time and put what goes on the pitch first,” he said.

“You have got to be sensible. There will be teams who run out of money. You have to look at your club, look at the financial package and realise what level you are at. If you have to drop a level or two to keep going then so be it.

“To be blunt, it is not a c**k measuring contest. There is nothing wrong with having a club running for ten or 15 years than have it running for three or four years and win four or five pots and then all of a sudden it is gone because the financial model can’t be sustained. We’ve had a few of them over the years haven’t we.

“I tell it how it is and I want clubs to run properly. There is only so many dreams you can chase.

“The amount of people who make the decisions within football clubs, the decision they make to try and buy success, is a decision that helps their ego, not the football club.

“My chairman Terry (Damms), every decision he makes, he talks about the supporters, the players, the junior players from under 6s all the way through. The bottom line is that Terry all abut the community.

“People may say ‘he’s talking s*** again’, but I’ve never come across a bloke who is as straight and tells it how it is and is so honest. If he can, he can. If he can’t he can’t. There’s too many clubs who have mavericks who come in and see it as fun and then when it becomes too expensive, they pull away and the club goes to ruins. You don’t want to mention them, but there has been a few.”

Situated at the far side of Sheffield, Staveley are a club whose blueprint is one for other Non League clubs to follow. They are at the centre of their community, with hundreds of kids using their magnificent facility each week. 

The 3G pitch which is set to be laid this summer will be the crowning achievement of Terry Damm’s long stewardship and will create infrastructure that will last for generations.

“We are going to be sustainable and that’s what attracted me to the football club,” Marshall said.

“My motivation to be in football has never been financial. The football club is run properly and for me, you try and run your football as professional as you can on an amateur stage.

“Don’t look at what the Premier League does and think we’re part of that. We’re not. All you can do is try and get the best facilities you can and a good group of players.

“They’re a lot of good clubs around. Stocksbridge is very similar to Staveley. They are run properly and Chris (Hilton) is an experienced manager. I’ve a lot of time for him and a lot of managers. I haven’t got a lot of time for certain managers.”

As it stands, Marshall is not planning for next season. He is not discussing plans with current and potential players, he does not see the point and is surprised clubs are announcing ‘signings’. 

He said: “People have said to me ‘have you started talking to players Marsh’? I’ve said ‘when we get a date when we can start back, that’s when I’ll start talking to players about hopes and pre-season and all that’. How can you talk to them about next season and your plans when we haven’t got a date? 

“In line with social-distancing I think it will be October when we return. I’ll be shocked if it is before then.

“So we don’t know what league we are going to be in, we don’t know when we’re going to start pre-season. You can’t be speaking to people about pre-season friendlies, so the handbrake on Non League is fully on.

“But teams can’t wait to get into the player thing of trying to self-promote their clubs. How can you tell players anything? We might not start until January.

“Well, if we don’t start until January, that’s seven months. I’m not being funny, but that’s a long time. People are at Uni, people finish Uni, people move, people might get a job, people might lose a job and the new job they get is on a Saturday. So that player who said he’s going to sign for you now can’t play for you because he’s working Saturdays.”