One of the main jobs facing the Committee over the next few months is the need to keep the club ticking over and to find ways of raising money.  We have been in touch with all our sponsors and have come up with one thing in the immediate term which does these things ... and also demonstrates the club's commitment to the non-league game.  We have negotiated the running of a non-league fantasy league hosted by  www.nonleaguematters.net which is free to enter, has a £25 prize for the winner AND will earn £1 for Scarborough Town for every entry.  The closing date for entries is September 30th, so there's plenty of time.  For details about this competition, click the "Fantasy League" link on the left.

"Wearside Winners" is a 44-page booklet telling the story of Town's immensely-successful 2009-10 season, winning the championship of the Wearside League by hitting no fewer than 140 goals - the highest total of any team in the top eleven flights of English football!  Contains match reports, results, stats, with full colour photos throughout.
 
Price: £2.50.  For details of how to order, click the "Club Shop" link.
 
 
 

STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE COMMITTEE OF SCARBOROUGH TOWN FC, 30th July 2010:

Since winning the championship of the Wearside League at the end of the 2010-11 season, Scarborough Town Football Club has been going through a turbulent and very uncertain period.  Over the past few weeks there have been a number of requests for the club's committee to make a statement regarding the current situation.  We have purposely refrained from doing so, because this was felt to be inappropriate in the light of continuous negotiations and discussions which were under way.
 
There have also been accusatory comments with regard to mismanagement or "problems of our own making".  We now feel that there are several major areas which require a one-hundred-per-cent clarification of our standpoint.
 
Firstly, the issues pertaining to planning applications for developments at George Pindar Community Sports College.  The College's head teacher Hugh Bellamy initially asked the architect to draw up plans in 2009 for a 2,500-capacity sports stadium on the College site.  This was done with the best of intentions, with the possibility of providing a facility able to accommodate other clubs in addition to Scarborough Town FC.  This plan was discussed at a Scarborough Town FC committee meeting only after the plans had been made public in the pages of the Scarborough Evening News.  The plans drew an immediate outcry from local residents and councillors alike, and planning permission always seemed likely to be unsuccessful.
 
It must be made absolutely clear that the committee of Scarborough Town FC has never participated in discussions with the College about proposed developments, after all this was wholly a College project to enhance its own facilities. Latterly our club secretary Sean Hunter did a great deal of legwork trying to liaise with all parties in order to obtain a satisfactory conclusion to 18 months of hard work. The only previous occasion on which Scarborough Town FC enjoyed any representation was a meeting held with the leader of Scarborough Borough Council on Tuesday 26th January 2010.  Those present were Nigel Wood and Sean Hunter of Scarborough Town FC, along with College head teacher Hugh Bellamy and Director of Football Mitch Cook.  At this meeting, assurances were given by the leader of Scarborough Borough Council that the requirements would be in place by August 2010 to allow Scarborough Town FC and its excellent group of local players to continue its successful progress and represent their home town.
 
As time has unfolded, various football-related decisions have been made which were based on the assurances given on 26th January.  It must however be stated at this point that several members of the committee felt we should remain in the Wearside League until issues surrounding planning application, Sport England and Scarborough Borough Council were resolved. The concerns and implications of resigning from the Wearside League were mentioned every time this was discussed, but it was felt that being a "development team" staying in the Wearside League did not fulfil our stated aims and we needed to continue to strive for progress.
 
With regard to talks of a "merger" with Scarborough Athletic FC, we need to state that not one single approach was made to the committee of Scarborough Town FC until mid-June 2010.  Any previous meetings between Hugh Bellamy and Scarborough Athletic did not have any input from Scarborough Town FC, even though we had requested representation at any such meetings.  We received the response that the meetings were "to discuss College matters and do not relate to Scarborough Town FC."  The first request to hold a meeting between Scarborough Town FC and Scarborough Athletic FC was for a proposed date of 21st July 2010, but this proved impossible because of a Scarborough Town FC committee meeting to discuss the Northern Counties East League deadline which expired on that very date.
 
We have been actively involved in exploring other avenues as a footballing home for Scarborough Town FC and the young footballing talent of our town.  Emails and telephone calls had been exchanged, and we were encouraged by Scarborough Borough Council officials that there was an opportunity to restore the site of the Athletic Ground on Seamer Road to football usage again.  We were in discussion with interested parties (none of whom have or had any connection previously with Scarborough football) who were excited by the progress of our young footballers in representing the town.  Figures to make the Athletic Ground usable were worked out and were well below those issued by Scarborough Borough Council.  SBC were awaiting our proposals in order to move this forward.
 
We as a committee have worked extremely hard on two fronts over the past two-and-a-half years: 
 
1.  On a footballing development to progress our local boys to the highest level possible.  It goes without saying, they were in the process of achieving this.
 
2.  To bring senior competitive football back to Scarborough.  This was also achieved, having played the 2009-10 season in the Wearside League which is "Step 7" in the national non-league pyramid system.
 
To summarise:  In our hour of need, in order to be accepted into Northern Counties East League Division One, all we needed was a piece of paper from Scarborough Borough Council by 5pm on Wednesday 21st July, stating that the verbal assurances about floodlights would be delivered.  Had this simple piece of paper been provided, Scarborough Town FC would have been admitted to the Northern Counties East League and would continue to be offering the best of our local footballing talent the opportunity to represent the town.  The obvious irony about this situation is that there are already floodlights on the Astroturf pitch at George Pindar Community Sports College immediately adjacent to the grass football pitch. Quite frankly this part of the situation is farcical.
 
To our many sponsors and our growing band of supporters, we would like to say thank you for your help and encouragement.  We have all been let down, and a second Scarborough football team seems destined to be put to sleep.
 
We as a committee are taking this opportunity to set the record straight.  If we have made mistakes, we acknowledge them and apologise.  However, by and large we have had little knowledge of certain proceedings but have had to face accusations of misjudgement or mismanagement despite having had no involvement in these matters.  We hope this statement will help to answer the questions with which we have been bombarded.
 
We wish to thank those who have contributed in any way to the success we have enjoyed in the past two seasons. To Mitch, his coaching team, the players, our many sponsors and supporters we say "thank you". We are also however aware that not everyone has appreciated our efforts and that a large number of emails, telephone calls and correspondence has been sent to Scarborough Borough Council and other bodies in order to object to the George Pindar Community Sports College plans solely to hinder the progress of Scarborough Town FC. It should also be pointed out that we were informed that some had made verbal objections to our acceptance into the Northern Counties East League at their AGM before making the political decision to join the other clubs in voting for our inclusion.
 
Sadly, this has made an impact on football in our town.  Scarborough Town has been denied the promotion which the players richly deserved, and facilities for a reasonable level of non-league football are non-existent and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
 
Some of the Scarborough Town players are currently training with other clubs in order to prove their ability to play at a higher level, but there are others who wish to stay together and discussions are ongoing to provide this opportunity for them.

This whole situation could have been avoided. These are local boys who did their town proud both on and off the field of play.  Shame on those who hindered this in any way.