WINSFORD United’s progress is being hailed by their commercial director as aims for a Barton Stadium artificial pitch are revealed.
Blues are through to the FA Vase last 16 for the first time and on the fringes of the play-offs places in their first season in the Midland League Premier Division following promotion.
“We’re a sleeping giant and the season is going very well after our promotion,” said Karl Woodward.
“We’re now seeing crowds of over 500 when two years ago we’d be lucky to get 120 there but in our heyday when I was a boy we’d get 2,000 when we were playing the likes of Gateshead and Barrow.
“In the early 90s we were drawing 2-2 late on against Wrexham in the FA Cup before losing 5-2, they went on to face Arsenal famously in the next round, and we were drawing 1-1 against Chester before they scored a late winner.
“We’re rebuilding with local players and a local manager and it’s vital to get the support of businesses in the local community like Lock Stock.”
It is vital for the club to attract sponsorship support such as that provided by storage business Lock Stock, who earlier this year opened their first site in Winsford.
“Sponsorship like this is crucial and we need their backing because we have plans to turn Barton Stadium into a 4G pitch to make it a proper community hub because we’re very much a community club, we’re all local and no-one takes a wage,” said Woodward.
“We cut the pitch, paint the fences and man the gates on a Saturday and we lend a hand behind the bar when it’s busy.”
Lock Stock area manager Richard Warner said: “We opened in Nat Lane in Winsford in June and the site is going very well and will have over 200 containers there soon catering for a range of customers from people moving house to local businesses.
“But we also like to get involved in the communities where we have sites and our backing for Winsford United is an example of that as was our support for local charity Changing Lives Together in the summer.
“Now we’re getting behind the club and wishing them all the best in what has been a superb season so far, and as we go forward we will look to continue to support the local communities here and at our other Cheshire sites.”
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