ATHERTON Colls hope a new chapter in their relationship with Bolton Wanderers can help them bounce back quickly from the disappointment of last season’s relegation.
Dave Chadwick’s side ended their longest run in the Northern Premier League’s top tier in April but the mood around the club this summer has been surprisingly upbeat.
A competitive squad has been retained at a level Colls know well, and a new partnership with Bolton Wanderers relaunched women’s team also promises to be a commercial boost.
From August, BWFC Women will play their home games at the Skuna Stadium, with fans able to watch free of charge.
Chairman, Paul Gregory, feels the arrangement can prove mutually beneficial and hopes Colls can benefit from extra revenues brought in from the crowds who come down on Sunday afternoons.
“It is an unbelievable thing for the club,” he said. “We have had offshoots of Bolton Wanderers Ladies here in the past but having the main club involved is a massive thing for us and a statement that Bolton trust us as well.
Atherton Colls chairman Paul Gregory (Image: Newsquest)
“For well over a decade we have played each other in pre-season friendlies, whether that’s first team or B Team, or whatever standard of team we have had at the time. They always bring plenty of fans and it is always a good occasion which brings a nice bit of income at the start of the season.
“Our thinking was that firstly, this helped to get us on the map. Secondly, if they build a fanbase up, then we make money through the bar and the food outlets.
“You never know, Bolton have a lot of sponsors and we are always looking out for more, so maybe we can pick up some along with the way with the added interest that this will bring. It’s a win-win situation for us.”
Colls’ rise up the non-league ladder has meant competing against plenty of clubs with access to more finance but Gregory says they have learned lessons which can stand them in good stead as they look to make a swift return.
The partnership with Wanderers can, Colls hope, open up different sponsorship avenues provided the venture is a success, which can in turn help improve the team on the pitch.
Gregory told us: “It was tough in the league we have just come out of because, honestly, there is money up there we just couldn’t get close to – multi-millionaires running clubs and spending a lot. We’re a club of working-class people who try our best to run things as push things forward how we can.
“We want to be back at that level, but it would need a lot more investment. This could be the start of it, you never know.
“We learned lessons from being up there and we have ambition. As a club, this is probably the level we should be, we’d punched above our weight a bit in the league above, but the clubs we come up against this season are ones we have known for years and years, and I’m sure the manager will have ambition to get into the play-offs or go straight back up.
“We will back him as much as we can. There’s no pressure on him – we just don’t do that – we will give him every chance.”
Colls were a couple of games into their pre-season schedule at time of writing, losing 4-1 in an entertaining friendly against Bury at the weekend.
The turnstiles at Atherton Colls' Skuna Stadium (Image: Newsquest)
“Squad-wise, things are looking okay,” Gregory said. “We had a few trialists in when we played Prestwich Heys the other night and I think that has helped unearth a couple of gems.
“Most of the first team squad are sorted now, so it’s a case of getting through pre-season, making things as organised as possible and then giving it a good go.”
A contingent of Wanderers staff visited Colls on Friday to check out facilities, and there are plans in place for new signage to announce the women’s team to their new home.
A 12-month partnership has now been agreed between the two clubs, which will also see staff from Bolton help out with technical advice, including groundskeeping.
“If it works out well then I’ll be delighted, we’ll certainly give it the best from our end,” Gregory said.
“Hopefully they enjoy it, appreciate what we are doing, and the fans do too. We’re a family friendly club, I think, so it will be a good place to come and watch Bolton and then in the future, we’ll see how it goes next season.
“We said to Bolton from the off we didn’t want anything to play on here but if we could get their ground-staff to give us some advice, the more technical side of it all, we can really benefit from it.”
Bolton Wanderers Women will play their home games at Atherton Colls Skuna Stadium (Image: Newsquest)
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