The global Coronavirus pandemic has hit football hard and some clubs have sadly not made it through the other side. However, for East Midlands non-league side Belper Town and managing director Dave Laughlin, the pandemic and enforced halt to football has seen a club and its community come together to show resilience and foresight that ensures not only survival but a promising future ahead.
Belper Town: From Flood to Pandemic
November 2019 Flooding
Manoeuvring any business through a pandemic comes with huge challenges, but for Belper Town it was just another shock to the system, having only just recovered from flooding that submerged much of Derbyshire in November 2019. Last Word On Football talked about the floods and pandemic with managing director Dave Laughlin to find out how the club has responded to the damage in these testing times and how it has affected operations at the club.
“The flooding caused a considerable amount of damage, not just to the football pitch and ground but also to the hospitality side of things with damage to the bar and club with chairs, tables and carpets all submerged,” he said.
“Just as we were getting through that, the shutters came down once more as the virus hit and football came to a halt. Following the floods, what helped us so much was the local businesses, sponsors, companies and our team of volunteers who worked hard to put things right, and it was due to them that we were able to get back on our feet.”
It would have been enough for many businesses to think that fate was dealing them a bad hand and to give up. However, Laughlin explains that the solid financial footing that the club is based on made a huge difference.
He said: “It was a bad time, but in many ways, we have not been badly affected from a financial perspective.
“The club only have four players on contracts, and they were placed onto furlough, so that was a help to us. Most of the squad players are non-contract players, and they are paid when they play and compensated for the travel time they need to commit to playing for the club, with many players being from the South Yorkshire area.
“It would have been very easy for us to feel sorry for ourselves but we are not like that here and have a very can-do attitude.”
The attitude of the club throughout the pandemic has been praised highly. Instead of waiting around, the Nailers have looked to move forward off the pitch.
“The can-do attitude comes from the chairman down, and we saw lockdown as an opportunity to try and do beneficial things to ensure that when we restart we are stronger than before,” he said.
“We have installed a 4G pitch and used a sand-based one so that if there are further floods, the water should roll away smoothly and cause little damage. We learn things all the time and that is key to what we do here at Belper Town.”
Making sure that the flood protection defences were upgraded was essential for the future of the club. Flooding is nothing new in the Amber Valley of Derbyshire, but on the morning of November 8, 2019, the river Derwent had burst its banks and submerged most of the ground. It had devastating effects on the non-league side.
Pitch waterlogged!!! pic.twitter.com/2hmRa5ft5F
— 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 | 𝟣𝟪𝟪𝟥 (@BelperTownFC) November 8, 2019
However, it is another example of the club being forward-thinking. They have installed a new flood protection system that will help protect the stadium in the future, should further flooding occur.
Speaking about the system, Laughlin said: “A new flood protection system has also been installed meaning buildings are protected with panels; sewage pipes are able to be bunged up and we are now as flood and future proof as we can be, which has been a positive. A new stand is being built at the Church End of the ground, and that will be ready by the end of June ahead of the season starting on August 14th.”
Getting Back to Playing Football
Football, though, is the most important thing for Belper. The pandemic has hampered their opportunities to get out onto the pitch over the last 18 months. The 2019/20 Northern Premier League South East Division was declared null and void with the club sat in the play-offs.
The club thought that they would be able to fulfil the following campaign, but a second national lockdown in November saw their season halted in October, never to return.
England’s first lockdown due to the pandemic was perhaps the biggest blow in terms of matters on the pitch, according to Laughlin.
“The biggest disappointment has of course been the footballing side of things and that has been felt by the players, manager and fans alike,” he explains.
“When we went into the first lockdown we were in a healthy position in the play-offs and through to the final of the Derbyshire Cup, with the game due to be played at Derby County’s Pride Park stadium, so it was a blow to lose out on that.
“We were then going well in the league again before we were closed down again, so that has been frustrating, and we want to get back to playing football which is the most important thing.”
Playing football again means the return of fans to Christchurch Meadow and Laughlin, along with the whole club and community, cannot wait to welcome back their loyal supporters.
He said: “We run the club for the supporters first and foremost and we have made sure that fans are looked after when they return.
“Season ticket holders from last season will have their tickets rolled over to the new season and we hope that through this we will see a payback of loyalty as well. And supporters will be returning to a stadium that is stronger and better than the one they left behind.
A Forward-Thinking, Brave, Resilient and Community Focused Club Setting a Great Example
Laughlin has been involved with Belper Town for over 16 years, and his passion for the club and the people around it is infectious. Rather than counting the cost of flooding and the pandemic, the club has got on with making improvements to Christchurch Meadow.
When football finally returns, the club is in a healthy position to achieve its ambitions on the pitch. They are keen to gain promotion and work their way up the non-league pyramid.
Belper Town have pre-season friendlies coming up against the likes of Burton Albion, before starting the new season with trips to the likes of Shepshed and Alfreton Town in a local derby.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
