We could fold in a year if we don’t have any finances, warns Thamesmead Town manager Keith McMahon

Monday 20th December 2010

THAMESMEAD TOWN boss Keith McMahon warns the club could face some financial difficulties if their re-development at Bayliss Avenue isn’t completed by the end of the season, writes Stephen McCartney.

A frustrated McMahon told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: “It’s just taking it’s time. Obviously the weather hasn’t helped one bit either, it’s just a struggle at the moment if I’m honest. Everyone’s all looking for the same news. We’re looking for it to be completed by the end of this season - definitely - we’ve been told.

“But with the weather we’ve had and the firms going bust it’s been one thing after the other and we’re all glad the new year will give us a bit of joy.

“We’ve just been so unlucky with companies going bust on it and it has been a strain on everyone at the football club because the conditions we’re working on at the moment are appalling, so we’ll be looking forward to getting something nice for the New Year.

“We’ve got a new firm, we’ve got everyone in place and it’s just the weather and hopefully things can get on track again in the New Year.

“It’s a struggle. Thamesmead Trust doesn’t understand how the football club runs and how hard these (committee) people work for nothing. Everyone’s voluntary and working as hard as they can to try scrimp and save to get every penny we can and it is hard. We haven’t got a big backer. We do need finances to survive.

“It is just hard work from myself right the way down to the committee and we do everything we can to try and survive.

“We will be able to carry on as we’re going as a first team but the new development we will need to see some finances or the football club will not survive.

“The new development is really good for us. We’ve got some nice facilities but on the downside we could fold in a year if we don’t have any finances and that’s what we’ve got to be aware of.”

Despite their off-the-field troubles, McMahon is delighted with his side and go into Christmas sitting in seventh place in the Ryman League Division One North table with 31 points from 18 games and have the play-off’s within touching distance.

“We’ve had a great season to be fair and our league position could have been a little bit higher,” said McMahon.

“We’re not too far off the top, it’s really close, but we’ve had a great start to the year, it’s been a very good first half.

“It’s been a team effort as we haven’t got any individuals. The new signings have been excellent; Sam Mott in goal has been superb; Ashley Probets has done really well; Lewis Tozer is out injured at the moment but he’s been excellent; Richard Avery has done very well and the two twins (Raphael and Gabriel Momodu) have done really well.

“It’s been a complete team performance. There’s not been one that ‘s stood out, we’ve done very, very well.”

McMahon has managed to hire indoor training facilities, courtesy of match secretary Dave Joy, but the wintry conditions mean getting players to the venue has been difficult.

He said: “We haven’t been training, that’s the problem. We’ve got an indoor training facility but because of the weather it’s been shut as it’s not been safe. We’ve got people, like other teams, who have to travel from Maidstone, London and it’s just getting people to the training area and you’ve got to think about that as well.

“You have to put people’s safety first. It’s been difficult. We were meant to play Faversham (in the Kent Senior Cup on Wednesday night) and that has been cancelled. God knows when that will be put in place as we’ve got five fixtures to put in already that have been cancelled.

“Everyone’s in the same boat, it’s just not us. We can train indoors on Thursday night but if the weather stays like it is we’ll postpone it and we’ll all meet up for the Great Wakering game if it goes ahead.”

Looking ahead to their trip to Burroghs Park next week, McMahon said: “That’s a tough game! We went over there in the FA Trophy and we won 2-1 and they’re ea tough side, big and strong and that’s a game that we want three points from.

“Everyone’s desperate to get a little run together. The next five or six games are going to count massively. Everybody hasn’t played much, they’re all going to be stop start, stop start and whoever puts a run together early doors…

“There will be some teams who are going to be caught, excuse the pun, cold and you can claw some points back or stretch a gap over some teams.

“That’s what we’ve got to look to do, get up and running and pick some points up there and then we’ve got Redbridge on 3rd January then we’ve got games coming thick and fast after that. It is an important time but we’ve got a good bunch of lads. We’ve had a great start and we can really push on maybe in the New Year.”

“It’s wide open, any side of eight or nine sides can still win it, not even get into the play-off’s, they can still win it.”

McMahon hopes to have the funds to bolster his squad after the festive period.

But he warned: “We haven’t got the finances as some clubs to get some players in after Christmas but we have got some attractions. We do seem to be able to attract some big players to the club and it’s not for financial reasons.

“Hopefully we will be able to add one or two more over the Christmas period who I have set my sights on and we can maybe kick on.

“It’s a struggle and I think this is where it’s just people play for the club and people play for me. It’s not finances, it’s just a lot of ihe committee work so hard.”

Visit Thamesmead Town’s website: www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

Great Wakering Rovers v Thamesmead Town

Ryman League Division One North

Bank Holiday Monday 27 December 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Burroughs Park, Little Wakering Hall Lane, Great Wakering, Essex SS3 0HH