European Super League

You may think it unusual for me to open my latest update with the European Super League that has recently been announced but if this league were to go ahead, it would have implications for the whole of football. For example, we were given a substantial grant by the Football Foundation for the installation of our Hybrid Pitch. The Football Foundation is a partnership of the FA, Premier League, Sport England, and the UK Government and is funded by the money that is generated at the top of the game and this proposed "Super League" will put that in jeopardy.

Football is hugely popular in this country, so much so that another division is being added at our step in the football pyramid and that is only possible because of the fans. The teams that will be chosen to move up from step 5 to step 4 will be chosen on merit, on performances on the pitch and they will have to retain their places in the division on the pitch.

One of the fundamental principles of the football pyramid in this country is that it is possible, however unlikely, that a club can progress through the pyramid from the Northern Premier League to the Premier League and then to the pinnacle of European football which is the Champions League. This new league would put an end to that and it cannot be allowed to go ahead.

Restart Grant

We were successful in receiving an £8000 restart grant from Halton Borough Council and we are grateful to them for processing our claim. The grant will be used to ensure we are ready to open for the first home preseason friendly by restocking the bar and tea bar, as all stock left over when the season was abandoned is out of date.

Pitch Work

The end of season pitch work began on Monday and the pitch is expected to be out of action for no longer than 10 weeks. This extensive work is being funded by the Football Foundation and the pitch will be perfect when the work is completed.

I know many of you contributed to the Pitch Heroes scheme which was launched to raise funds to help towards the club's contribution to the pitch cost. We are very grateful to everyone who has contributed so far and I wanted to let you know that your Pitch Heroes badges will be available for you to collect when we are back playing at home and the pitch board commemorating all the Pitch Heroes will be in place shortly after the end of the scheme.

Our new Commercial Team are taking over the administration of the scheme and there is still time to become a Pitch Hero using the link below.

Join the Pitch Heroes scheme

Weekend Matches Round-up

The Linnets Ladies returned to action after their long lay off with a 4-4 draw against the Northwich Vixens, which does not tell the whole story. The Linnets were excellent early on and led 4-1 before an injury to their goalkeeper halted their progress and resulted in the Vixens coming back to seal a draw. The Ladies were disappointed not to hold on to the win but as manager, John Pickering remarked to me as we were walking off the pitch, they remain unbeaten in 2021.

The Under 21s had an away game on Sunday against Abbey Hey in the North West U21 Development League Supplemental Cup and came away with a convincing 6-0 win, so well done to Ste Chaney and his team.

The Under 18s played top of the table Mossley Hill at the Millbank and beat them 4-1 to replace them at the top of the league. Gibbo and his team have given themselves a real chance of finishing top of the league and lifting the trophy, so good luck to them for the rest of the season. It feels good to talk to you about actual football matches and as a club official I am fortunate enough to be able to watch some of these games but it will not be the same until we are all allowed in to watch all our great Linnets teams.

See you all soon.

Dave Jones

Runcorn Linnets FC - Chairman

League Restructure

The Alliance and Leagues Committees have met to consider the delayed restructuring of the National League System at Steps 4-6 and they have announced that they will be recommending to the FA Council that the changes should be completed in order to address the imbalance that currently exists and achieve the 'pure pyramid' at Steps 1-6.

The restructure will see 20 teams moving from Step 5 to Step 4 and a new division adding to the Northern Premier League to increase it from the current two divisions to three divisions. There will be considerable changes for us including more local teams being in our league with the likely promotions of Warrington Rylands, Bootle and 1874 Northwich. It will also likely mean that our longer away trips will be in the opposite direction with the North East and Yorkshire clubs being replaced by Midlands clubs.

This is all just speculation until the recommendation is ratified by the FA Council, which is due to take place on the 22nd April but if it is ratified the 2021/22 league constitutions will be confirmed by the FA the week commencing 17th May.

This will be the third different division make up we have had in the Northern Premier League and we have only completed one season, so some stability would be gratefully appreciated. Although, I obviously won't be complaining if we only spend one season in this new division due to gaining promotion to the Premier Division.

Return to Training

Both the Men's and Ladies team have returned to training and it was great to see them all back at the Millbank.

I was very impressed with how the Ladies looked in training, they looked fit and sharp (although that didn't stop the coaches putting them through their paces!), especially considering how long they've been away, and I am expecting good things from them in the future. The club will be taking a more active role with the Ladies including improving their match day experience and supporting their search for sponsorship money.

The men looked similarly fit and sharp and they had all obviously been keeping themselves fit during the lockdown. In the coming weeks we will be announcing players who have committed to the Linnets for the 2021/22 season, so stay tuned.

Linnets Juniors

The Akidamey restarted on Sunday and I took my two sons along who absolutely loved it and it was apparent that all the other boys and girls did too. The Akidamey is a great way to introduce young children to coached football and is also good for children who want to play but may not want to join a team. All the coaches are patient and enthusiastic and ensure that all the kids have a great time. If you have children between the ages of 4 and 11 that want to get involved in football, then I highly recommend taking them along to a session.

Please see the link to the Akidamey website below.

Akidamey Soccer School

I am up at the Linnets a lot and it's always amazing to see so many kids up there enjoying their football but none of that would be possible without the dozens of Linnets Juniors coaches that give up their free time to give over 400 kids the opportunity to play and enjoy football. We should be very proud of that and proud of all those coaches. On behalf of Runcorn Linnets Football Club, I would like to thank them all.

With each passing week, we get closer to the return of football and I really cannot wait to welcome you all back to the Millbank. Until then, stay safe, keep well and I'll see you soon.

Dave Jones

Chairman - Runcorn Linnets FC

Runcorn Linnets Juniors

It was great to see all the Little Linnets back at the Millbank for their games this weekend and please indulge me while I tell you that my son Jack got man of the match for his Under 8s team in their 2-2 draw and he also scored which may seem more impressive when I tell you he is a goalkeeper!

Akidamey restarts on the 11th and I'll be there to welcome them all back to the Millbank, it's always great to see all the little ones having so much fun.

Runcorn Linnets Under 18s and Under 21s

Our Under 18s played Runcorn Town at the Millbank and won 3-2, they raced into a 3-0 lead before being pegged back but held on to the win. So well done to Gibbo and his team, I'll try to get myself to some of your games in future.

I had the privilege of being in attendance for the Under 21s game against St. Helens Town as a club official. It was a very tight game with the Linnets playing some good football and they eventually got a 3-2 win. Well done to Ste Chaney and his team, I look forward to seeing more of your games.

Ground Development

At the start of the implementation of the COVID-19 restrictions the club was successful in applying for a £7000 grant for COVID-19 measures, the majority of which was to pay for additional terracing to make social distancing easier.

Work has begun on building this terracing on the other side of the goal from the existing terracing. The reason I am telling you all now is because I can guess some of the questions that will be asked when fans return and see that we have built an uncovered terrace.

I am aware that we desperately need another covered stand at the far end of the ground. Unfortunately, the grant can only be spent on terracing and cannot be used to provide cover, so the decision was made to build a terrace of a similar size to the existing terrace but without the cover.

Building a new stand at the far end is a club priority but it must be planned properly and will cost more than £7000.

Pre-Season Planning

Peter Cartledge and I have met with Calum and Colin and plans for pre-season are well underway. The players are due back soon for pre-season and I have to say I am really looking forward to seeing them all.

We are determined to make sure that Calum and the team have everything they need for the start of next season, so we have arranged for pitch works to start week commencing the 19th April so that the pitch will be available earlier than usual.

As always, thank you for reading this update, stay safe and I'll see you all when the Linnets are back.

Dave Jones

Chairman - Runcorn Linnets FC

Runcorn Linnets Juniors

It was great to see all the Little Linnets back at the Millbank this week, it's been far too long since I've heard the sound of kids playing football. I'll be there myself on Thursday to help coach my son's Under 8s team and I can't wait to get back out there.

Although no spectators are allowed yet apart from parents/guardians, it is a step in the right direction for football and it won't be long until we can welcome you all back.

2021/22 League Start Date

The NPL have provided us with an update on the start of the league season. It will start on Saturday 14th August 2021.

Providing there are no disruptions to the league schedule, the league season will be completed at the end of April, with play-offs being staged over the Bank Holiday weekend. However, the season could be extended to 31st May if required.

Now we have a start date, Calum and Colin can start to properly plan their preseason. We will begin to announce our preseason friendlies as they are confirmed.

National League System Restructure

Discussions around when the long-awaited league restructure happen are continuing. A potential roadmap to implement the additional division at Step 4 (which the NPL will manage) plus further re-organisation at Steps 5 – 7 (as any new division at Step 4 will need to be supplemented by clubs from Step 5), in time for next season, has been tabled and the FA Executive given feedback.

I personally think the restructure will happen before the start of next season as Steps 5-7 are keen for it happen sooner rather than later.

Although any restructure will not necessarily make our league any easier it will make travelling to away games easier and more affordable, both for the club and the fans. It is certainly something that I as Chairman, would support.

Financial Support

More financial support for businesses have been announced in the last week. We have already applied for a restart grant provided by Halton Borough Council which is available to all businesses affected by the lockdown and we are waiting to hear back from them.

The next round of the Winter Survival Fund grants has been announced and we have been told that the application process will be much less onerous than the last round of funding. Once the applications are open, we will have a look to see if we qualify for a grant and apply if we do.

Although our costs are massively reduced when we are not playing, we have lost out on additional income from the bar and pitch hire, so we will apply for any grant support that we qualify for.

Ground Improvements

Work is nearly complete on making the compound safe and improving the overall look of the area from the turnstile to the pitch area. All the volunteers have worked very hard over the last few weeks and the place is unrecognisable. I don't want to be repeating myself all the time but I don't think I could ever thank the volunteers enough, they are giving up their free time pretty much every day to help transform the club and it is very much appreciated by myself and the rest of the board.

There is other work planned, both inside and out but I will update you all on that when we are a bit further along with them.

As always, thank you for reading this update and I am happy that I no longer have to say stay home but still want you all to stay safe, so I can see you all when the Linnets are back.

Dave Jones

Chairman - Runcorn Linnets FC

Runcorn Linnets Ladies

With the recent announcements, tiers 3-6 of the Women's Football Pyramid including the Ladies NWWRFL have been curtailed indefinitely for the 2020/21 season, as a team/club we are working with the respective league to see what can be put in place between the end of March and mid-May to get the Ladies team playing some form of competitive football again.

Government announcements have confirmed we can return to training as of end of March; therefore, the Ladies team will resume training at the Millbank from Wednesday 31st March, any new players will always be made welcome.

The players have been away from football for a while and a few players have confirmed they will not be returning, with the intention of pursuing other options and Coach Lee Buckley, in his second spell with the team, stepped down earlier this year during lockdown to concentrate on his work commitments and family, as a club we wish those players and Lee all the best for their futures.

Team Manager John Pickering underwent hip replacement surgery during March 2021, putting him out of action for up to 12 weeks and we wish him well with his recovery. During John's rehabilitation Assistant Manager James Sidwell and Ladies Media Officer Neil Thornton will take charge of training etc. until John is fit enough to return, although John is very keen to bring in a new long-term coach to replace Lee. If you are interested in this position, please contact the club.

Over the coming weeks as things develop, we will keep everyone informed of new developments that will affect the Ladies team, as we continue to look forward to the future and implement preparations for the 2021/22 season.

Linnets in the Community

Representatives of the club met with the local police and they have provided the club with a Bleeding Control Kit which can be used to treat a knife wound until the emergency services arrive. We obviously hope we never have need to use it but it is always best to be prepared for the worst. We also discussed hosting a football tournament ran by the police during the summer, more details will be released on this at a later date. It was a very productive meeting and we will be working more closely with the police and other community partners in the future.

Halton is the 2021 Borough of Culture and we will be submitting a funding bid to the council that will allow us to work with local schools to create a community garden at the Millbank to celebrate this event.

Community Engagement Manager Josh Christian and Vice Chairman Peter Cartledge represented the club at a community clean up event with local residents, police, and councillors where over 50 bags of rubbish were collected from around Gorsewood Primary School and the surrounding area. Another event will be arranged to take place around the Millbank, the Queen of Hearts pub, and the surrounding woods, in the coming weeks. If you would like to get involved with Linnets in the Community or have any ideas or requests then please contact us below.

Linnets in the Community

Runcorn Linnets Academy

The Runcorn Linnets Academy have recommenced their studies at the ground in the last week and it is great to see them back. I also took part in a recruitment Zoom call with prospective students and their parents/guardians to tell them a little bit about the club, what we can offer them and what the club expects from anyone who represents Runcorn Linnets. It would be great to see more local players making their way through the ranks at the Linnets to play for the first team and hopefully earn themselves a move to a league club.

It is also very important to me that anyone who represents Runcorn Linnets feels that they are part of a club and part of the Linnets family.

As always, thank you for reading this update, keep well and stay safe.

Dave Jones

Chairman - Runcorn Linnets FC