Away-day costs fuelling problems

LOCAL footballers are finding themselves out of pocket playing for crisis-club Chadderton.

And manager Paul Buckley believes that has contributed to the exodus of players from the Vodkat North West Counties League club.

In the space of little over six months the players at the Broadway club have gone from being either paid, or given expenses, to receiving nothing.

Indeed, the club is so strapped for cash that the players are even having to foot the cost of travel to away games.

And, with matches in Cumbria, Merseyside and the Potteries, it is proving expensive for them to play for Chadderton, especially with petrol prices spiralling in recent months.

Buckley said: “The rising price of petrol has had a massive impact and it is costing the players an arm and a leg to play for us.

“We are not in a position to pay any wages or expenses and the players are obviously not happy.

“When we have a long away game in midweek, many will have to take time off work which will cost them even more money.”

In the second half of last season the players car-shared to cut down the cost of travelling to away games. But the departure of senior players, caused by the club’s off-the-field troubles, has complicated the matter further.

Buckley continued: “So many senior players have left that most of the ones left are kids who cannot drive.”

Buckley added that he is not surprised that senior players have left as many would have been travelling twice a week from various parts of Greater Manchester to training and also to matches at considerable personal expense.

“I can understand the predicament of the players, especially as some have mortgages and young families and they simply cannot afford to have to pay to play,” explained Buckley.

The Chadderton manager says the heartening thing is that, despite the club’s difficulties, he is still receiving e-mails and telephone calls from players requesting trials.

Any players wanting a trial can turn up for training at their Broadway ground at 6.45pm on Monday and Thursday.

OLDHAM Town, whose players are also not paid, are nowhere near as badly affected by spiralling petrol prices. Most of their players live locally and they are transported by mini bus to away games.

MOSSLEY players receive payment and the club provides a coach for the players and staff to the majority of away matches.