Finnaldo

Any hope Loughborough go to step 6 or is it Senior League for them? Awful really as Leicestershire Non-League was really picking up.

To ensure stability I imagine. Look at what a lack of bulletproof long-term tenancy got Cov. Getting kicked out your ground and having to groundshare massively increases costs and granted you’ll be travelling a decent distance to find a correctly graded facility you can imagine a considerable drop in attendance and it sets you well on the road to financial crisis if not managed tightly.

Personally: it’s one of the better mass-produced beers you’ll get. If you’re somewhere with limited options or you can’t be arsed to brave any guest lagers that evening, a Guinness will probably serve you pretty well. But that’s it mainly, I wouldn’t say it’s anything special above that. I think the sudden upsurge in it is a cultural response: when I started drinking (2015) was the beginning of the trend of different sweet fruit ciders became more mainstream, combined with Carling being the ‘boring’ go to lager for generations, I think Guinness was picked up by insufferable hipsters as it’s got a distinct enough taste to put some people off and be different and it’s also not distinct enough a taste as say an IPA that you don’t have to battle through it to pretend to enjoy it. At that point, probably in the last five years, it’s become the cool drink as it was drank by those types and hence the fascination and fanfare around it.

My girlfriend lives in Bath Lane and I’d Western side of town I think is pretty decent and has promise. Enough decent pubs to go into, everything off St Martin’s square and the Lanes is a nice red brick area and pleasant to shop/drink eat in. I’d probably end that to the western end of High Street before the side entrance to Highcross.Its a shame Braunstone Gate kind of collapsed in on itself as you’d have a great stretch otherwise. All falls apart after that I feel. Eastern side of the city feels dirty, grotty and half the buildings are sadly dated. Granby street feels more neglected than Mogadishu on its bad days. I’m not someone who has ever felt in danger in town but if you come in on the train after sundown there’s an air of sketchiness on that stretch up to the clock tower that as other pointed out is an awful way to introduce the city. And it’s not an inherently crap street either if the shopfronts and street plan was cleaned up.

I didn’t realise you were allowed to turn down promotion at that level. Or does that only apply to title-winners and play off teams can vacate spots?

Fantastic day yesterday, 419 down for a 4-1 win and trophy lift. Looking forward to the League Cup semi now…

Cheers mate! I said earlier in the season to one of your lads it’ll be great if it can be an all Leicestershire affair in regards to promotion this year, got a good setup out of Thringstone you can build on now. Seems Weddy have had a moment and you’re definitely capable of getting results at Stapenhill and Wolves to confirm a spot and at that point it’s for anyone to win. Have our presentation evening the day of the final so as long as it’s not Allscott there’ll be a few Hinckley along to cheer your lot on when you get there!

Done it!

352 there today and a 4-2 Hinckley win. Eight more points in five games for the title now.

Hinckley get a massive win at Droitwich which means they’re at least six points clear after games in hand. Seven to go with a favourable run-in compared with the following pack who play each other regularly. Cool heads and it might be their year!

Hinckley had to appeal to get into the UCL Div 1, as a Leicestershire club, and even then we were moved back to the MFL the following season. I’d be astonished if Nuneaton find themselves in the UCL over the MFL. That said, even though it’s been historically strong the bigger outfits have been filtering out over the years and if we finally manage it and Droitwich come up too there’s very very little in that league to threaten Nuneaton, granted they’d likely have a humongous budget for that league with the support and sponsorship they’ll start with. Even if both were to stay down they’ll have a ridiculous budget and I’d expect them to romp it. If they did get promoted though there’s good money in the current landscape they’d drop into the UCL Premier South.

I think a wee bit more transparency would help. Nothing you can do on ground negotiations until it’s done (as the other lot found out) but a few working group meetings wouldn’t hurt, perhaps a meeting about kit colours and badge could be held before an online vote is done (assuming it’ll be voted on). Bedworth is best they can do for now probably, covers them up to step 3 I assume, and I think they’ll get assistance off the council for the ground. Step 5 and 6 with their gates and sponsorship they’ll do fine without income from food and drink. Seems a sensible decision all-round but if they’re approaching step 4 they’ll probably begin to need that beer money, although I imagine they won’t want to be far off a place of their own by then.

Fantastic 4-0 win for Hinckley today to keep the wheels turning. 11 games left, counting the games down now! A club record attendance for a regular league game too, so fantastic day all round!

Nuneaton clown show rolls on. Investor club now dead in cot, been announced they’re withdrawing, appears a lot of key sponsors sided with the Co-Op who have officially announced that they’re looking to start up a club. The Co-Op you’d hope will be a little more sensible, we’ll find out but it seems to have rattled a few who were desperate for a new sugar daddy to continue the 30 year Nuneaton cycle. Relatedly, Hinckley AFC are having their 10th anniversary celebrations at this Saturday during their game against Copsewood. Kids go free, Nuneaton ST holders go free and free cake (if you’re early enough!)

See the second meeting went ahead last night regarding the Nuneaton Phoenix club. Seems like they’ve decided Pingles isn’t good enough for them so are shacking up at Leicester Road Will be a disaster. Bloke wanted £1k a game off Boro when they were down and out. He’ll shorthand them without a doubt. That’s without the fact it’s the other side of Hinckley from them with no transport links past it whatsoever, unless you fancy a walk from Barwell or the centre of Hinckley. If Boro supporters have anything about them they’ll fvck this off, get their own supporter-led club arranged playing out of Pingles where they’ll actually make some money and won’t find themselves in the red after three years. Setting themselves up for an immediate death sentence.

Very good game yesterday, shame for Hinckley as Ingles pipped us 1-0 but withstood about 60 minutes of the kitchen sink and about 30 of those with ten men, with some superb saves from their young keeper. Just need to tick off wins now, should be looking to win most if not all until Droitwich away in March, keep the distance as I can’t imagine the chasing pack won’t drop points with how the season has gone. If we do manage it though I’m hoping it’s Ingles that come up with us (or anyone apart from Droitwich at least!).

Hinckley AFC and Hinckley Leicester Road is exactly that situation. Supporters still made it happen. Nuneaton is far larger with better resources. If they can’t make it work it’s unfortunately on them.

If it’s a continuity club it’ll have to be step 6 highest anyway, if it means playing out of town (which Hinckley have had to do since inception) then there’s local options available. I can’t imagine a new Nuneaton club would lack for backers and cash at that level. I’d be extremely disappointed if Nuneaton pack up shop entirely in the event they go bust. I wouldn’t expect it either.

Good win for Hinckley away at Ingles, they’re a good team and well organised so a great away result there. Droitwich and Allscott dropping points as well means some distance is opening up, even if others teams have games on us. There’s a comfortable run of games between now and March for us to go into the run-in in a commanding position. For now though a very good Christmas top!

Is the bar still operational with Nuneaton away from LW? If so, I assume it’s a different asset and unaffected by what happens to the club proper? If it isn’t, then isn’t she unfortunately out a job already? Whilst I don’t agree any club should go out of business, there’s an institutional rot at Nuneaton and such a mountain of debt that the only way they could get on the straight and narrow is to remove a lot of the power players and do one of two things: A- accept voluntary relegation, work off debts over a few years and rebuild once it’s in a manageable position. Accept that may mean groundsharing with the likes of Griff if it means saving money and clearing as much debt as possible to speed up the process B- accept the club in its current guise isn’t salvageable and start again as a Phoenix club, either under a trusted individual or supporter-ran Theres no way Nuneaton will be able to compete at their current level with their level of debt. No one without dodgy intentions (see: DA Capital) will want to buy them, maybe bought out by a well-meaning fan who has the resource but even that would realistically mean going back to option A to steady the ship before rebuilding. Up to Nuneaton fans to step up, vote with their feet if necessary and organise to ensure there’s continuity regardless. Not a nice situation but the bare reality now. Had years to work on the debt and they did GoFundMe campaigns for players chasing glory instead.

Quoted them £1k a game

The social club is its own entity and completely separate from the football club, so no benefit there either. Food & drink handled by each club separately too. Really is all down to rent. edit: just seen you beat me to it!

Barwell isn’t an option though, they have tenants as it stands. Unless they’re trying to replace them (which won’t happen) and that is very poor form. You also have the likes of Bedworth down the road, who don’t have any secondary team playing there currently, but either way you should refrain from going to the papers until a deal has been agreed. That said; don’t put down to malice what can be explained by stupidity. Either way not an encouraging start for a company that specialises in flipping businesses from their existing owners…

Very well played from your lads, well organised, took us a wonder goal to get a breakthrough. Poor defending to concede from a long throw like that but is what it is, think your lads wanted it more at that point. Can definitely see why you’re in the mix though, hoping you guys can hold onto a play off spot, granted we can keep top spot. Think a play off at that point is a fairly level playing field other than Droitwich and they’re prone to awful defending. Either way, good lucky in the cup and hopefully it’s a different result on Boxing Day!

That, or they’ll rinse fans for every penny. If Stratford are giving them a good deal, then it could well be a case of them essentially get the begging cap out to the supporters with ‘one more big push this season to get us on the straight and narrow!’ before jumping off the bus with their bags of dosh and suddenly the current owners arguing “well they promised me x, y and z!” as they get out of it looking clean. Over to Nuneaton fans to organise and demand some clear answers. What are DA’s objectives? What is the new role of previous board members in the new layout? What’s the plan of action to get back to Liberty Way? They need to get some clear answers, or prepare for the worst. If neither are done then they’ll have only themselves to blame. I’ve had it told that one of main issues with Nuneaton’s supporter-base is elevated expectations at ends with their current reality; they aren’t a National League team any more, frankly with their current debt they aren’t in good standing to start pushing for it either. The best thing they can do is stop paying £900 per player a week, begin to drain down the debt, and accept it’ll be step 3 for the foreseeable, maybe lower. When they’re in a tenable position with secure finances push again. It’s a well supported club that could arguably even be league standard with the right backing and model. The only thing they’re on target for currently is repeated financial crises as they lurch from one desperate push to the next. As mentioned before there’s been an almost institutionalised dodginess there as supporters turn a blind eye for the sake of quick success. They need to break the cycle they’ve got themselves in, ‘drain the swamp’ and demand some transparency and accountability. That might be owners with accountability in the club’s current form, it might have to be starting from scratch. It’s a club with great potential but if they want better they need to demand better.