Treasurers Update - July 2026

July is the first month of our new financial year, and it is always the month where the club stops planning and starts playing. Eight pre-season fixtures, a squad refreshed and strengthened, and the biggest single month of commercial income in our short history – there is a great deal to report.

Pre-season Results

The squad came through a demanding eight-game pre-season programme with five wins, one draw and two defeats. The full set of results:

• 4th July – Stratford Town 1-2 Nuneaton Town

• 7th July – Nuneaton Town 3-2 Hinckley AFC

• 11th July – Nuneaton Town 0-1 AFC Telford United

• 14th July – Sutton United 1-4 Nuneaton Town

• 18th July – Northampton Sileby Rangers 2-3 Nuneaton Town

• 21st July – Lutterworth Athletic 3-1 Nuneaton Town

• 25th July – Nuneaton Town 6-2 Coalville Town

• 28th July – Nuneaton Town 1-1 Rushall Olympic

There was plenty to like. Coming from two goals down to beat Hinckley said something about the character in the group, and the wins at Sutton United and at home to Coalville Town showed what the forward line is capable of. The narrow defeat to National League North side AFC Telford United was a proper test passed with credit; the loss at Lutterworth Athletic was the one genuinely flat evening of the summer, and the response in the following two games was exactly what you would want to see. Eesa Sawyers finished as the leading scorer of the programme, with Charlie Jones, Bradley Stretton, Terry Atem and Jimmy Armson all finding the net more than once.

From a Treasurer’s point of view, pre-season is a cost centre rather than an income stream. Our four home friendlies at the Oval are free to season ticket holders but still carry ground hire, match officials and matchday running costs. That is a deliberate choice: the games are part of what season ticket holders are paying for, and giving supporters four evenings of football before a ball is kicked in anger is worth far more to us than the gate would have been.

Blending the Squad for Step 4

Every summer at this level brings movement, and after two promotions in two years it was always going to be a significant one for us. I want to thank everyone who has worn the shirt over the past two seasons and moved on this summer, with our very best wishes. What matters now is the balance of the group Darren Acton and Russell Dodd have put together, and it is a good one: a solid core of players who were part of back-to-back title-winning sides, who know what this club is and what our supporters expect, with genuine quality added around them.

The new additions have settled quickly. Watching them play alongside the lads who won the league in May, you would struggle to tell who was new and who was already part of the group.

‍There is one point here I think is worth recording, because it does not show up anywhere in the accounts. Recruitment this summer was easier than our budget alone would suggest it should have been. Players wanted to come to Nuneaton. The support we take to away fixtures, the crowds at the Oval, the sense that this club is going somewhere and the Back to Nuneaton project itself all carry real weight when a player is choosing between offers. That reputation – built by supporters, volunteers and sponsors rather than bought – has allowed us to attract players we would not have got near two years ago, and to do it without stretching the wage bill beyond what the club can safely afford. It is one of the most valuable assets we own, and it does not appear on the balance sheet.

The financial reality behind all of this is straightforward and worth stating plainly. A Step 4 squad costs more than a Step 5 squad, and the playing budget is comfortably the largest single line in our accounts. July shows almost none of it – the playing budget genuinely begins to bite from August, when the competitive season starts. That is the single most important thing to understand about the numbers you are about to read. Coupled with that, it is important to reiterate that the budget remains firmly within our sustainability model, based on a 400 average attendance and ensuring we have a surplus of income at the end of the season to put in the Back to Nuneaton fund. This, coupled with the limited income streams from not having our own ground, means that we are effectively playing with one arm tied behind our backs, and we will all need to dig deep to support the team and fill this gap.

Season Tickets and Sponsorship for 2026/27

Season ticket sales have now reached 275, which is a superb response from our supporters and a number that would have felt fanciful two seasons ago. Season ticket income recognised in July was £22,829, against £14,723 at the same point last year – an increase of over £8,100, or 55%. If you have not yet renewed, you can still buy here, in full or in three interest-free instalments.

The commercial picture is stronger still. Sponsorship and advertising income recognised in July was £72,217, compared with £53,323 a year ago – up almost £18,900, or 35%. Kit, digital space, matchday, pitchside boards and sponsorship packages have all grown, and I want to record my thanks to every business that has backed us. Local businesses interested in joining them should contact Lee at commercial@nuneatontownfc.co.uk.

Why does this matter so much? Because these two income streams are the only ones we can count on before the season begins. Gate receipts depend on results and weather, merchandise depends on demand, and cup runs are a lottery. Season tickets and sponsorship are money in the bank in July that funds a squad we have to commit to in June. Every additional season ticket and every additional sponsor directly widens the margin between what we can afford to spend on the pitch and what we dare to. Growth of 55% and 35% respectively is what has allowed us to build a squad capable of competing at Step 4 without gambling with the club’s future – and that discipline is precisely what we promised supporters when this club was formed.

Expenditure

During July, the club’s outgoings included:

- Training kit for the new season
-Cost of sales on merchandise, mostly replica shirts
-Stadium hire for the four home pre-season friendlies
-Coaching staff wages and expenses
-Match official fees
-Competition entry fees for the season ahead
- Other matchday equipment
- Medical fees and medical kit
- Training ground hire

Administrative costs included:

- Administrative salaries
- Employers National Insurance
- Transaction fees (Stripe and bank charges)
- Subscription to Xero and other IT
- Printing and stationery

The total cost base in July was materially lighter than in the same month last year. Most of that is down to how stadium hire falls across the calendar rather than any saving we have banked, which is why the cost side of this month’s report looks unusually light.

July is the first month of our 2026/27 financial year, so the Year-to-Date column simply repeats the month. The third column shows the same point last season, which is the most useful comparison available to us. Turnover of £105,603, costs of £10,730 and administrative costs of £1,032 produce a net profit of £93,841.

I want to be very clear about what that figure is and is not. It is not a £93,841 windfall. £92,858 of income that had been sitting on the balance sheet as Income in Advance – season ticket and sponsorship money received during the spring and early summer for the 2026/27 campaign – was released into the profit and loss account in July as the season got under way. The costs that money exists to cover, above all the playing budget, ground hire and matchday running costs, fall across the ten months in front of us. Expect the monthly results from August onwards to look very different and expect the club to report losses in most individual months for the rest of the season. That is the shape of a football club’s year, and it is planned for.

The comparison with last July is genuinely encouraging, and it is a fair one – the same recognition effect applied a year ago, so we are comparing like with like. Turnover is up from £75,434 to £105,603, an increase of 40%, driven almost entirely by season tickets and sponsorship. Cost of sales is down from £19,763 to £10,730, though as noted above most of that is the timing of ground hire rather than a saving. Gross profit is up from £55,671 to £94,873 and net profit from £54,763 to £93,841. We start this season in a materially stronger position than we started the last one.

Cash Position

The club received £35,229 in cash during July and spent £15,208, giving a cash surplus for the month of £20,021. That takes the closing bank balance to £160,743, split between £125,850 in the Back to Nuneaton account and £34,893 in the Co-op Bank business account.

Elsewhere on the balance sheet, debtors fell sharply from £47,920 to £24,055 as sponsorship invoices raised in the spring were settled – my thanks to the businesses who paid promptly. Income in Advance reduced from £137,586 to £44,728, reflecting the release of 2026/27 season ticket and sponsorship income described above; the £44,728 that remains will be recognised as the season progresses. Stock of clothing fell from £11,819 to £9,001 as the new kit sold through, and creditors rose from £6,284 to £19,539, largely pre-season and early-season invoices not yet due for payment.

Back to Nuneaton Update

The “Back to Nuneaton” fund stands at £98,752, up £300 on the month and now 65.8% of our £150,000 target. As always, this figure represents money specifically earmarked for the Back to Nuneaton project; the bank account of the same name holds a larger balance, which also includes short-term cash surpluses not yet committed to the fund. At the end of July that account stood at £125,850, and the difference is season ticket and sponsorship money being held safely until it is needed during the season.

Work continues on the site evaluation for a new community stadium, and we remain in dialogue with the council about the candidate sites we have assessed. There is no material change to report this month, but supporters can help right now by completing the Camp Hill Pride in Place survey, which the club shared in late July – a strong local response genuinely helps our case. The funding, £20m over ten years, originally limited to the Camp Hill ward, has been extended to encompass areas adjacent to Camp Hill:

It’s important to remember that the project is not just about a football ground. It’s about providing an authentic mixed-use facility that enables potential partners to bring much-needed services – potentially a combination of health, education, community events and leisure – while also giving the local economy a huge boost.

Please complete the survey here: Pride in Place Camp Hill

If anyone would like to make a donation to the fund, you can do so here or by emailing finance@nuneatontownfc.co.uk.

What to Expect in August

August is where the season truly begins, and it is a punishing opening month – eight fixtures across three competitions, including our debut in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, a return to the FA Cup and a first FA Trophy campaign in two seasons.

•       Sat 8th – Westfields (a) – Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

•       Tue 11th – Mickleover (h) – league opener at the Oval

•       Sat 15th – Carlton Town (a) – last season’s runners-up

•       Tue 18th – AFC Rushden & Diamonds (a)

•       Sat 22nd – Grantham Town (h), subject to FA Cup progress for either side

•       Tue 25th – Coleshill Town (h)

•       Sat 29th – Lincoln United (a) – Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round

•       Mon 31st – Sutton Coldfield Town (a) – bank holiday

Three of our first four fixtures are away from home, and two of the cup ties are among the longest trips of the campaign, so travel costs land early. On the other side of the ledger, August brings our first meaningful gate receipts, programme sales, matchday fundraising and hospitality income of the season. Four home games in the month is a positive start, and every supporter through the turnstile at the Oval makes a difference to the numbers I report next month. There is also a coach running to Westfields for the FA Cup tie – details are on the club website.

Please note, we are now away at Rugby Borough in the FA Cup on the 22nd August.

Finally, the club is looking for a Commercial Assistant to support our growing sponsorship operation. If that sounds like you, or someone you know, details are on the website.

How can I help?

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

•       Secure your season ticket for 2026/27. You can pay in full or in three interest-free instalments.

•       Come along to our home fixtures and consider buying a 50/50 draw or Golden Goal ticket on matchdays.

•       Join the NTSC 200 Club – support the club financially and win monthly cash prizes: Join the 200 Club

•       Join the Nuneaton Town Supporters Co-operative and help shape the future of the club: Join the Supporters Co-operative.

•       Local businesses: contact commercial@nuneatontownfc.co.uk to discuss sponsorship opportunities for 2026/27.

•       Donate to the “Back to Nuneaton” fund: donate here.