The popularity of non league football is generally increasing around the Country, but the headline figures don’t always tell the full story.
Here in the North West, attendance at some football clubs and other sporting teams (especially rugby league) has been declining in recent years. The clubs that see growth either have success on the pitch, extensive social media presence and / or quality guest experience such as good food & drinks at good value pricing and activations for fans, especially children & families.
Whilst attendances may have fallen in other sports locally, the old Widnes FC club actually saw a year on year increase in support proving that there is a growing appetite for football in our community. This is despite not doing anything out of the ordinary in terms of guest experience, social media or community engagement.
Widnes Town FC believes that we can turbocharge the growth seen with the old club through extensive youth development and player engagement models employed by clubs like Boston United, Macclesfield and Milton Keynes Dons, employing social media activations inspired by Dorking Wanderers and Walton & Hersham, quality hospitality offerings and a match day experience / food & drink offering inspired by clubs such as Farnham Town & Hull City.
Off the pitch, we want to follow the same type of community engagement as seen at clubs like Eastleigh and Eastbourne Borough, working with foodbanks, hospices and other community groups to improve our communities for the better.
Working with local education providers, we want to give young people the hands on experience within our club to prepare them for the workplace. Business Management skills. Graphic design. Hospitality. Whatever we do, how can we involve local people to make things a little more special for everyone?
With the economy getting tougher, it also isn’t lost on us that people currently have less money in their pockets. How can we make football more affordable, not just for spectators but for those who play at a community level? By trying to pull resources with junior teams through joint fundraising initiatives and events via a community trust, we believe that for those who want to come to watch us on a regular basis that we can make spectating very affordable while also reducing the cost of playing.
