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ext to arrive is Peter Storey, a
former CID officer who is the
hi-vis-wearing match commander.
His main task is essentially spectator safety,
and like so many whose work revolves
around 3pm, it requires hours of meticulous
preparation during the week.
Today his primary focus is the smooth
running of the pre-match Remembrance
Day ceremony. Members of the 8 Rifles,
with their ties to Durham Light Infantry
and a new partnership with the club, are in
attendance.
“It has to run better than perfectly,” says
Peter, who prowls the stadium throughout
the day. For the record, the occasion was of
course impeccably observed and perfectly
executed.
Media manager -
Adam Brown.
W
hen match day doors open,
director of marketing and
communications Adam
Brown and his colleague Jack Franks get
to work on their duties.
The website and social media accounts
need daily updates before and after kick-
off, and there is a match programme to
write, edit, print and distribute.
But on match day, the work intensifies
and they scurry from their base in the
press box at the top of the main stand to
every crevice of the ground, camera in
hand, just in case.
So does commercial manager Jonny
Cope, who preps the bars and marquee,
before all three shift boxes of club
merchandise to the new club shop which
is painted black as part of the whole
ground’s revamp.
Adam says: “There is a togetherness
with the supporters and the town which
has grown over the years and you see that
through every facet of the club and the
community throughout the week, but
particularly on match day when we are
all working together to deliver the perfect
match day experience.
“We have aspirations. We want to be
County Durham’s Football League club,
and we are not putting a timescale on it
but I think all want to say, we were part of
it, when it happens.”
A
s staff from
the Ramside
Hall Hotel
Group arrive to
prepare the bars and
restaurants for the
guests, including
dozens of military
personnel, so does the
club’s first managing
director Tony Wilson.
Brought in by
chairman Brad
Groves, he is a
Spennymoor Town
fan, with senior management experience at
Thorn Lighting and Black and Decker. Not
surprisingly, he has high hopes for the club.
During the game, he kicks and heads
every ball from his seat. The rest of the
time, his only concern is the comfort and
enjoyment of everyone else, from guest, to
fan, to groundsman Mark, who sits in the
corner during the game making a mental
note of every potential divot, ready to apply
a firm boot at half-time and on Monday
morning.
Tony says: “If we don’t give people a good
experience, they won’t come back. We want
people to come and enjoy a good game
of football with a nice meal and a drink
beforehand and the feeling they are part of
this club. And that is what we’re striving for,
The Brewery Field – revamped, rebuilt
and ready for Spennymoor's rise.
to be a leading light in this community.
“We had four promotions in six years
and the first team were absolutely flying
but behind the scenes, in terms of policies,
procedures, structure, direction, ownership
we were not ready to make those advances.
“With the growth of Great Annual
Savings, Brad has brought me in for the day-
to-day running of the football club. He has
spent a small fortune getting us to where we
are and now we need a different approach.
“We now have a robust financial plan
which doesn’t mean we rely on our
benefactor. He can do it, but we need
something more sustainable.
“The pitch and the ground improvements
were the first thing to put Spennymoor
Town on the football map.”
Legend – manager Jason
Ainsley has led the club to
four promotions since 2007.
J
ason Ainsley knows the pressure is on to
deliver as the club develops and meets
aspirations off-field. But it has been that
way since Brad Groves appointed him in
2007.
“Don’t worry,” he says. “Brad tells me
every day what he expects but I know we
have a team ready to take on this division
this season and put the heartache of last
year behind us. Because missing out on the
last penalty in the play-off was tough.
“But we’ve bounced back. With the club’s
backing, we can continue the adventure
through the leagues. It’s a privilege to have
this responsibility. I do love it.”
Spennymoor beat Southport 1-0 thanks
to Glen Taylor’s second-half winner.
Ainsley’s team moved into the top six play-
off places for the first time this season. And
it is reward for all the hard work on and off
the pitch.
And it is only the beginning...
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