We are aware of speculation and rumour regarding the financial status of the club. This brief statement will hopefully address some of those concerns.
The past couple of months have been very tough for the club and it is no secret that money has been extremely tight. This situation has been exacerbated by the lack of National League South home games which has seen us play just twice at the Somerset Campervan Co Stadium since the beginning of October. A potentially lucrative fixture with Torquay United had to be postponed to fulfil our FA Trophy game at Welling United, a game in which the club made a loss. Two home games have also been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch – we appreciate there are opinions amongst fans about what remedies need to be taken to resolve this problem along with ideas on issues such as generating income so we would welcome any supporter with valid suggestions to attend a Fans Forum, the date of which will be announced soon.
Contrary to popular belief, all playing staff have been paid up to date. Short term cashflow issues affect many clubs and we are no different so there have been instances when finances have been very stretched which may have caused a short delay to some payments, but we can assure all supporters that this has now been rectified.
Taunton Town FC has experienced great success in the past five years, enjoying two promotions in a short space of time. This in itself creates new demands as we try to adapt to a higher level of football both on and off the pitch. We aren’t there yet and we fully accept there is a great deal more work that needs to be done to make us more stable, more sustainable and ready to achieve our ultimate ambitions. There are many plans and ideas being worked on including greater utilisation of the stadium outside of match days and appointing a supporter representative to liaise with the club board.
The club truly appreciates the support it receives from our loyal fan base but to consolidate in the National League South and to grow further we need the public of Taunton and the surrounding area to come and support in bigger numbers. As previously mentioned, there is going to be a Fans Forum held at the club soon when these topics can be discussed, and we would urge supporters who have any questions or concerns to attend.