News

Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year, I thought it important at this stage to share with you the possible impacts on Ilkeston Town FC should Investor David Hilton be successful in his bid to revive Bury FC.

I have spoken to David regularly throughout this negotiation and from the outset, I sought assurances to ensure the ITFC project remains in his plans.  Without hesitation, David assured me that the project will be completed as promised.

As investors at ITFC David and Andrew have been very hands on and this shows in what is a revitalised New Manor Ground. Our playing squad is one that excites me and our recent friendly at Gainsborough Trinity was another reminder of the potential in this squad.

Since their arrival not only has the ground had the makeover they have listened to what is needed to make the football club thrive through local young talent, we have launched an academy who had a great run in the FA youth cup which is some achievement for a side that featured players from the academy and our u16’s. We have an U23 team playing at step seven and competing very well for a team of 16-18 year olds. We have a plan to bring through young homegrown and hungry players that not only can play for our first team but to go beyond that to the higher levels of Non-league and of course into the professional game.

The Plans for a state of the art 3G pitch will still go ahead, as soon as we have confirmation from the league to confirm the seasons end. The pitch will go as originally planned  and replace the grass pitch at the NMG.

This will be a great thing for the club and community meaning our junior teams, ladies, academy, Vets and first-team can train and play at the NMG on a more regular basis as well as creating revenue for additional bookings to ensure the long term sustainability of the club is achieved as was always the model when we took ownership of the club.

Pending planning permission the plans to build units on the site of the NMG car park will still go ahead in the next 12 months.

One thing that excites me is the potential partnership between ITFC and Bury FC that can be mutually beneficial and we have discussed the possibilities and its just another example of how we look to provide pathways and opportunities for players to reach their potential.

I hope this reassures any concerns that may arise from the Bury FC takeover. This is still the very beginning of the journey for ITFC under this stewardship and we fully expect to deliver on the promises made both on and off the pitch.

We can’t wait to see all of you back at the New Manor Ground once it is safe to do so, in the meantime please follow government guidelines and keep yourself and your families well.

Cliff

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  The NMG prior to the takeover.

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  The NMG now.

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  The NMG now.

The board of the Northern Premier League has, together with fellow Trident Leagues, reviewed the implications of the latest Government lockdown. The matter was also discussed at length by the FA’s Alliance Committee earlier this week.

Firstly, after such an unpredictable 2020 I would like to offer clarity on a matter that has the potential to cause a little uncertainty or unrest. After receiving many messages and emails recently regarding Bury Football Club, I can confirm that I have participated in discussions over recent weeks about potentially purchasing the club.

Whilst most negotiations have been extremely positive, I have failed to reach an agreement with Mr Dale regarding his shares and at present cannot proceed.

My only objective is to revive Bury Football Club and create a self-sustainable model moving forward, eradicating the clubs’ debt as part of the process. A very similar model to the one that was insisted upon before offering investment at Ilkeston Town Football Club.

Despite all other business activities and a global pandemic, nothing promised has been nor will be sacrificed at Ilkeston. The funds originally allocated have not only been honoured but exceeded and further investment will continue throughout the summer in order to secure the clubs future and competitiveness at a much higher level.

Over the last fourteen months I have watched Ilkeston Town rebuild relationships throughout the whole community and it has become a big part of mine and my children’s lives, these relationships will continue to thrive forever, of that I am certain.

We have a strong playing squad, an academy with a clear pathway for progression and an unrivalled junior network, along with a new, much younger set of fans to add to the already envied excellent supporter base at the club. So much now for us all to be positive about.

I would like to thank my business partner and friend Andrew, Mark Clifford, Mark Frost and Mike Pike along with all the coaches, players, staff and volunteers for helping already create some fantastic memories and a club and business we can all be proud of.

Finally, stay safe have a wonderful New Year and I look forward to seeing you all at the NMG soon.

Regards

We can confirm that after discussions with Carlton Town and Belper Town, the decision has been made to rearrange our respective fixtures for later on in the season. This means we no longer have games on Boxing Day (December 26th) and New Year’s Day (January 1st).

We can confirm that unfortunately tomorrow’s Pitching In Northern Premier League fixture at home to Kidsgrove Athletic has been postponed due to the NMG pitch being waterlogged.

As it stands our next game will be on Boxing Day away to Carlton Town.

Our next game at the New Manor Ground will be on New Year’s Day when we host Belper Town.

We can confirm that our turnstiles will be open from 2pm for supporters. Unfortunately, the clubhouse will not be open due to tier 3 guidelines. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

We can this evening confirm that Barnsley U23s player Keaton Ward will join the Robins on loan from Barnsley for the rest of the season.

Upon signing for Barnsley, the club described Keaton as a young midfielder who had impressed them at Youth Alliance level for Mansfield Town the season before.

The 20-year-old signed with the EFL Championship side following a successful trial period, signing a contract at Oakwell ahead of their 2019/20 Professional Development League campaign.

Ilkeston first team manager Martin Carruthers said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Keaton to Ilkeston Town.

“It’s a real coup for the club and an exciting signing for the fans. Huge thanks go to Bobby Hasell and Gary Charles for allowing us to sign Keaton and help further his development.

“Keaton is an excellent addition to an already talented squad and can’t wait to see him in action.”

Ilkeston Town FCB fell just short in the Notts Senior League this afternoon as hosts Burton Joyce scored a late winner in a 3-2 victory.

The young Robins came from two goals behind to level the scores thanks to goals from Adam Khan and Kieran Cummings but the home side struck late on to take the points in a game that was a great advert for local football.

In the absence of usual boss David Lilley, Ilkeston Town chairman and head of football Mark Clifford took charge of the side with both he and first-team manager Martin Carruthers saying they were extremely happy with the performance from the team despite the loss. 

Clifford added: “We were extremely impressed by the quality on show this afternoon. We are really looking forward to seeing this talented group develop.”

Our FCB side currently sit seventh in the Notts Senior League with games in hand on those in sixth and fourth place.