July brought back something that we have all missed since April – football! Preseason began at Lutterworth Athletic on the 5th of July and in all Nuneaton Town played four away matches, including one against Bedworth United at the Oval. We were also able to play two home matches against Nuneaton Griff and Leamington FC. The games we well attended, with season ticket holders granted free admission. Across the two games, attended by 232 and 241 fans respectively, we were able to generate around £500 in profit, after allowing for stadium hire costs and match day expenses.

We also, unusually, started the season in July. Having taken a shift east to the United Counties League Premier South, they tend to start the season early and allow free Saturdays for league cup games. This meant that we had two league games – one away and the other at home in the last five days of the month.

After a 1-0 win at against Newport Pagnell Town, which saw a staggering 300+ fans make the 100-mile round trip to Buckinghamshire, Town followed this up with a 4-1 against GNG Oadby Town. 491 supporters were at the Oval, an excellent attendance given that it was an evening kick-off and many supporters are away on holiday. Only two thirds of season attended the game, so outside of the holiday season and on a Saturday, this would have been a 600+ attendance.

From football matchday activities we made a surplus of £1,708 after deducting the cost players wages & expenses, and matchday costs.

As mentioned last month, we can now recognise all the sponsorship and season ticket income collected across May and June. The response from both fans and businesses has been nothing short of phenomenal and has given the club surety over the playing budget for the forthcoming season.

The income (excluding VAT) from these revenue streams so far stands at:

· Sponsorship and advertising - £52,800

· Season Tickets - £14,700

I would like to thank everyone who has committed to the club this season. As you may have seen, the season ticket sales have outstripped anything seen in the last 10 years, and you must go back to 2014 – the first season Nuneaton Town played in the Conference (National League) to beat it.

The businesses that support the club in terms of sponsorship and advertising are one of the key pillars that are allowing the club to build for both now and the future. Every sponsor from last season has re-committed for the 2025/26 and we’ve attracted some new ones – the photos below are just some of those who have recently joined. The sponsor list now reads like a “who’s who” of successful local businesses and the club is committed to promoting these businesses to unlock value back them for showing their support. I would encourage all supporters to show your gratitude by considering them when the need arises. You can find a full list of sponsors here.

We do still have sponsorship opportunities left for next season, and you can view our 2025/26 brochure here . If you would like to discuss partnering us with your business, please contact Lee by emailing commercial@nuneatontownfc.co.uk

In terms of expenditure, we incurred £19,783 in direct costs during June, which covered:

Contractual pay to Management
1 week of Players wages and expenses
Ground hire for the season, plus pre-season games
Training facilities hire for the preseason and the first 3 months of the season
The cost of the new away kit and training/benchwear for the players
Match Balls for the new season
Other matchday expenses

We also incurred administrative expenses of £908, which included:

Website hosting costs
Subscription to the club’s finance system (Xero)
Payroll processing costs
Transaction fees charged by payment platforms (SumUp & Stripe)

This leaves a net surplus (akin to profit) of £54,154 for the month. Those that read my updates from this time last season would know that a big surplus built up in July is common in football – basically the club builds up funds at the start of the season to see it through the year, and for many clubs that means making a monthly loss as matchday income is less that the outgoings (mostly the playing budget) during the playing months. A well-run club will make sure the losses they make from August to April are less that the total surplus they built up in July. Interestingly, for Nuneaton Town, we did better than that and largely broke-even across the playing months, keeping almost all the surplus we had in July.

The reason for this is that our playing budget was set last season based on an average attendance of 200 fans, but the actual average attendance was 475, and that extra income meant we were financially self-sufficient almost every month of the season. This mean that much of the surplus we built up in July 2024 went into the Back to Nuneaton fund. The playing budget itself was reasonable, despite some wild claims on social media, and was static throughout the season. We probably ended the season with a lower budget than several of the teams vying for the playoffs. Well done to Russ and Darren for delivering on the pitch and making sure we achieved our financial goals off the pitch.

On to the new season, and we will be sticking to the same model. As communicated at the Fans’ Forum in March, the playing budget will be based on a prudent average attendance of 300 fans. We believe this will generate a reasonable and competitive playing budget appropriate for Step 5. Will it be the biggest in the league? We certainly don’t think so, but I think we have already seen that there are lots of benefits playing for Nuneaton Town that will attract quality players that want to represent us. As per last season, the playing budget will remain fixed, unless the average attendance dips below 300.

The other question is – can we hold on to the £54,000 surplus we have built up in July like last season? Well, this means that we would have to be financially sufficient during the playing months from August to next May. Is this possible? Yes, it certainly is! How can it be done? Well, this is down to you. To break even during the playing months this season, we would need am average attendance around 600. So spread the word!

If we have an average attendance like last season, my forecast is that we spend around half of the £54,000 during the season, leaving a surplus for the season as a whole of £25,000 to £30,000. This itself would be still a brilliant result and the envy of many clubs in non-league football, but wouldn’t it be great if we could swell the coffers of “Back to Nuneaton” to the tune of £54,000? My challenge to you, the fans, this season is to spread the word, convince the fence-sitters and aim for that average attendance of 600.

Regarding the breakdown of the surplus (profit), £36,873 remains available for the purposes of “Back to Nuneaton”.

What to expect in August

We have seven matches in August, two at home and three away in the league, plus two further away games in the FA Cup and the FA Vase. The FA competitions work on the basis that match receipts are shared between the clubs, after allowing for certain expenses. This means we should get a reasonable income from these matches if they are well attended. We also get prize money from the FA, even if we lose!

Of the league games, the match at Atherstone Town stands out – our first competitive game against the Adders for 16 years. Nobody should underestimate the impact of having ourselves, the Adders and Hinckley in the same league, not only for us but for local football as a whole.

The final game of the month is away at Bugbrooke St Michaels who are situated on the outskirts of Northampton. The Nuneaton Town Supporters Cooperative are taking over the responsibility for organising coach travel and are looking to run one for this game. I would encourage anyone who is considering using coaches for away games to do so. If we have enough number to make coach travel viable, this will help with minimising players travel expenses.

Back to Nuneaton Update

How can I help?

There are several ways that fans and local businesses can help support the club:

· Support the club by attending games and encouraging others to do so!

· While at games, please consider buying a 50/50 draw or Golden Goal ticket.

· NEW! Please consider taking part on the new Nuneaton Town Supporters Cooperative games. See here for more information. Proceeds from the Mega 6 game are being donated to the Back to Nuneaton fund.

· Join the NBSC 200 club. This is a fantastic way of supporting the club financially, whilst give you the chance to win monthly cash prizes. You can take part in the 200 Club online by clicking this link: Join the 200 Club

· Join the Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative. Not only will you be helping the Co-op fulfil its duty as part owner of the club, but you will also be able to hold the Co-op board members and club officials appointed by the Co-op to account (including me). Look out for further information about the new season membership drive and further information on how you can get involved in both the Co-op and the club. You can join the Co-op online by linking this link: Join the Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative.

· If you are a local business and would like to become a sponsor, reach out to commercial@nuneatontownfc.co.uk to discuss taking one of our great packages.

· If you would like to donate to our “Back to Nuneaton” fund, please do so here