Toolstation commercial director Neil Carroll presents Bristol Manor Farm captain Jordan Metters with the Toolstation Cup
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Words and pictures by James Grayson (@jamesAgrayson, @NonLeagueNorth)
Staging the Toolstation Inter-League Cup Final was a “dream come true” for the company’s commercial director Neil Carroll.
Toolstation’s sponsored leagues – the Western League and Northern Counties East League – had representatives playing in the Final held at Staveley Miners Welfare yesterday.
Western League Premier Division runners-up Bristol Manor Farm beat Knaresborough Town to win the cup which was presented by Mr Carroll and World Cup referee Howard Webb.
Over 150 people showed their support for the game which also raised money for the Royal National Lifeboats Institution and Asthma UK.
Mr Carroll told Non League Yorkshire: “It is a very important day and I personally have nursed the idea of this event for about five years.
“We became involved in the Western League ten years ago not knowing what great benefit we would get from it.
“What we gained from it is being respected in the South West and what the league has gained from it has been the support for the clubs.
“I believe clubs are big things in communities and I’m a passionate believer in that clubs are great for supporting youngsters.
“The importance of this (the game) is that we always hoped to support one other league at this level.
“Then the NCEL were introduced to us through friendship with the Western League and thoughts soon sprang to mind that we would be able to organise an Inter-League match.
“It’s an early dream come true very soon and for me I hope it becomes something of great interest nationally in the sense that it attracts attention.”
NCEL chairman David Morrall introducing Knaresborough Town captain Matt Dureden to Toolstation’s commercial director Neil Carroll before the game
The match marked the end of the first 12 months of the NCEL’s three year sponsorship deal with Toolstation.
Mr Carroll, whose company is based in Somerset, said: “It has gone very well.
“When we started with the Western League, we were a very small company so the sponsorship was hands-on as I was the only representative from Toolstation and really had to commit to it.
“That was fine because we were local to that league.
“Knowing that we becoming involved in a league (NCEL) a long way from our head office, I knew it couldn’t be a level of direct involvement.
“Therefore we were hoping and it has happened, the league has almost simply said ‘you support us, we’ll do the rest’. That’s exactly what’s happened.
“We have been delighted with the way the league has given us recognition for what we are putting in and in turn we have been able to benefit from that glow of publicity.
“The first season has been fantastic, culminating in this event (Toolstation Cup Final) happening and we couldn’t have asked for more.”
NCEL chairman David Morrall said earlier this week that he was very pleased with how the sponsorship deal has worked.
Mr Carroll added that he intends to review the future of the partnership next year.
“The biggest thing I hope to achieve over the next two years is within a year of those two years that both parties will agree to take it further,” he said.
“I’ve already said to the league that we’ll make a decision at the end of next season whether to extend for a further period.
“I feel it is the totally wrong thing to do to drag things out until the end of the last year and then make a decision.
“My biggest hope is that we both feel we want to continue and through that we’ll (Toolstation) become well-associated in this area of the country with football as we already are after ten years in the Western League.”