Page 3 - Deal Round Up March 2020

What Is Ambition

It always amazes me the amount of effort that some volunteers at ‘grass roots’ football clubs will put in
to improving their ground and facilities. Many hours are put into painting, building and decorating with the
end result producing a unique and individual feel to the place. I have seen this all over the country and each
club will have their contacts that they can rope into helping. At each level of football, right up to the Foot-
ball League, clubs are required to achieve a certain standard to allow them to play at that particular level.
There are funds that can be tapped into, although you have to jump through hoops to obtain them, but
generally improvements are gained by good old blood sweat and tears.
Of course, once these improvements are achieved it does not necessarily mean the club will progress
to the next level, that really depends on the ambition, the vision and the driving force of those that are
responsible for the administration of the club. I have known clubs that are perfectly happy to languish in
the same league forever, without a thought of trying their luck at the next level. In fact, before the Non
League Pyramid came into being, with automatic promotion and relegation, many clubs did exactly that
without fear of being relegated. This situation must be particularly frustrating for supporters and volun-
teers alike because winning something is part of our nature. I suppose finishing mid table every season or
working hard behind the scenes to play at a higher level, which generally means an increase in expenses,
is a difficult decision that clubs have to make.

Thank you for reading.
Bob Chivington, Editor, 07854529118

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