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DISTANT VICS NEWSLETTER

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSLETTER FOR FANS OF NORTHWICH VICTORIA



NUMBER 305
8th DECEMBER 2005



TEAM NEWS

The good news for Steve Burr is that there are no new injuries to his squad.
This means he has everyone available except reserve keeper Ben Connett and even
he is recovering faster than expected.

The team trained at the ground today partly because of the heavy conditions at
Moss Farm after all the rain and partly to get the squad as used as possible to
the pitch conditions at the VS before Saturday's home game against Leigh and
Tuesday's important replay against Woking.

CLUB NEWS

Everyone knows by now that victory in the replay against Woking on Tuesday gives
Vics their first ever game against a team in the Premiership away at Sunderland.
It's convenient for Paul Brayson who lives in Newcastle and if he couldn't have
his ideal tie at St James Park then I'm sure this would be second best!

Fans are being asked to arrive early to avoid a repeat of the congestion at the
Nuneaton game earlier in the season. It has been confirmed that Woking
supporters will be accommodated at the Canal end of the Victoria Stadium next
Tuesday. The club has also advised that sufficient turnstiles will be open on
the night but understandably they have asked that supporters should try and
arrive at the ground as early as possible.

Arrangements have been made with neighbours BARTEC to provide 'overspill' car
parking facilities and discussions have taken place with Roberts' (and NOT
Witton Albion) to make the car parking facilities that we used for the last
three seasons to also be available if needed.

As soon as our own car park is full and the overspill one at BARTEC then
supporters will be redirected at the end of Wincham Avenue.

SUPPORTERS TRUST

I have been asked by several people why I resigned from the board of the Trust.
Below is the relevant part of my resignation letter to chairman Paul Stockton
which I hope makes my position clear



As you are aware it is with some regret that I am taking this course of action
but I feel that I have no other effective way of expressing my concern at the
way the Trust is going, particularly over the issue of the 3 banned fans.

Whilst there is no doubt that tempers flared at the last game of the season the
banning of the fans was, in my opinion, totally out of proportion considering
the atmosphere generated at the time by others who now share the hospitality of
Mr Connett at most matches.

The Trust has tried hard to resolve the issue with Mr Connett but despite an
apology from the 3, their ongoing financial support of the club, continuing
contributions in various areas of the club (such as the programme and the web
site) and ongoing financial contributions to the Trust there have been no
reciprocal moves from Mr Connett.

I feel there is a level of hypocrisy creeping in here that will lay the club
open to criticism from outside. Whilst the banning and continual exclusion
appears to be being pursued with enthusiasm the response from the club to the
violence at Worcester appears to have been to deliberately play it down and push
it under the carpet suggesting a serious distortion of priorities that is
morally unacceptable.

The club has no web site and, I am led to understand, relies on the Trust site
to meet its obligations to the Conference in this area. This site has been
designed, set up and run by someone who the club now refuse to admit.

The Trust is organising the programme in circumstances we, on the board, are all
aware of and once again this relies, albeit less heavily, on 2 of the 3 banned
fans.

In addition the Trust has generously supported the club, financially,
considering how long we have been going. Part of this support has been for
equipment and goods that at any other football club would be automatically
provided by those clubs. Obviously part of this expense is funded by the
generous contributions to the Trust of the 3 fans who remain excluded.

I no longer feel I can go on financially supporting such actions, nor do I feel
I want to continue giving my time to the club when there is so little movement
in return. At the end of the day football should be enjoyable and, sadly, I am
not finding it so, in this role, any more. Over and above admission and travel I
was surprised to find I could save about £750 a year by withdrawing financial
support, plus many hours a week that I have been contributing at the expense of
other interests that I and my family have.

The Trust needs to stand up for itself and, by implication, for all the fans of
the club. It needs to heal the deep split that is developing. Authorising future
financial backing for projects within the club need not be terminated. However,
actual payment should be withheld until the issue of the banned 3 is resolved to
the satisfaction of the 4 people involved.

We all need to realise that the Trust is an independent limited company and
should deal with others on a totally businesslike footing. As a way of enriching
himself Mr Connett had to save the football club, and we are all grateful for
that, however we should not forget that he has never made any bones about the
fact that this is his "pension fund". His motive, quite acceptably, is one of
profit and we need to deal with that situation.

After working so hard to get the Trust off the ground I had hoped it would be
supporting the club long after myself, and everyone else currently involved, had
moved on. Sadly I fear we are very close to the demise of the Trust with the
loss of £12k - £20k to the club, annually, and the only real voice the fans
have.

Whilst any individual or consortium can own the land and company, only the fans
can ever own the club. So, we will still be turning up home and away to support
the team. Fortunately, with the club enjoying its current success, it should not
be hard to find someone to replace my contributions, both financial and time
wise, and I genuinely wish you good luck in your, currently, unenviable role as
chairman.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Grimes



There was a Trust board meeting tonight and the next fans meeting is scheduled
for 5th January at The Floatel.



FUN AND GAMES

Match of the Day.

Matches for 10 December

Vics v Leigh

Wakefield - Emley v Witton

Bolton v Aston Villa



Yankee

Winning code 1985 - Mrs Hayward wins £600.

Messrs Fields, Cadman, Finney and Ashley receive £10 each for trebles.

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