Member Article

Non-league club steps up a gear

A North-East non-league football club has stepped up its business operations with a number of new appointments.

Spennymoor Town, who play in the Ebac Northern League, have added four key members to the club’s off-field team as they prepare to make the big move up to the Evo-Stick League.

Despite winning their league three years running, Spennymoor have previously declined promotion due to the history of clubs struggling at the next level.

But chairman and business entrepreneur Brad Groves says the club is now ready after getting “the right structure in place” with the appointment of commercial man Billy Beasley.

Town have also appointed Mark Gwilliam as head of finance and PR professionals Martin Walker and Adam Brown to improve the club’s marketing and profile in the local media.

They will work alongside Groves and directors Paul Callaghan, Mike Rowcroft and general manager Steve Lawson to take the club to the next level.

“I’m comfortable that we now have the infrastructure in place to take promotion, if we finish top at the end of the season,” said Groves, pictured with Beasley.

“We’ve looked at it in the past but we’ve looked at history, and how other clubs have struggled at the next level.

“Spennymoor United was up there before and struggled badly. Bishop and Durham have been there but came back down.

“It’s absolutely imperative that we have everything in place, and the commercial side of the club is fundamental. We need to run it as a business, and we’re getting there.

“We’re in the fourth year of a five-year plan and we’re on target to meet our aims.”

Beasley, who runs a number of local firms, played a key role in establishing Spennymoor Town after the previous set-up’s demise six years ago and brought Groves to the club as chairman.

He left the club 18 months ago to concentrate on his business commitments, but says he’s now looking forward to picking up where he left off.

“These are exciting times for Spennymoor,” he said. “Brad is a very infectious person, we get on really well personally and I’m relishing the prospect of working with him again and taking the club to the next level.

“I’ve always been against promotion because I know about the history. Brad has been right not to take promotion the last three years – but now I think the time is right.”

Bolton-based Mark Gwilliam, 34, has more than 10 years’ experience sitting on major operating boards with multi-billion turnovers and has worked with Groves on numerous major businesses.

He works three days a week in the North-East. “Getting severely stressed out by me!” adds Groves.

Martin Walker, 35, runs his own marketing and PR company, Mantis Media, and has previously worked in the media teams at Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

He headed up Darlington’s media until their relegation last season and also played a key role in the success of local club Newton Aycliffe.

Adam Brown, 22, is from Sunderland and is a qualified journalist having studied a degree in Sports Journalism and is currently an internal communications advisor.

He has previously played semi-professionally in the Wearside League and the Northern Alliance and still plays on a Sunday morning.

Groves added: “Martin brings with him a wealth of marketing and PR experience at a professional level, from the Premier League right down to the Northern League, and we’ve been extremely impressed by the work he has done at Aycliffe, so we’re delighted to have acquired his services.

“Adam is an enthusiastic PR professional and brings another set of skills and knowledge the club hasn’t previously enjoyed.

“All four appointments are key and completes the infrastructure I’ve been trying to put into place for some time, so I’m delighted we’re there now and look forward to the next step on our journey.”

Groves is inviting Spennymoor supporters to attend a Fans Forum in the Sponsors’ Lounge at Brewery Field this Saturday, from 12.30pm, ahead of their FA Vase fourth round tie at home to Lordswood, when the main topic of conversation will be the club’s application to take promotion.

Fans will also be able to ask the chairman and board directly about the future direction of the club. They’re advised to get there before 12.30pm so it can start on time. If the Vase game is postponed, the Forum will move in line with that fixture.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mantis Media .