Belper Town director happy with how club have used spare time in lockdown

Belper Town’s managing director Dave Laughlin believes the club have used their time in lockdown to great effect.
Belper Town director Dave Laughlin is happy with how the club has used their time during lockdown.Belper Town director Dave Laughlin is happy with how the club has used their time during lockdown.
Belper Town director Dave Laughlin is happy with how the club has used their time during lockdown.

The Nailers recently unveiled their new 4G training pitch to go alongside renovations to their Raygar Stadium.

For Laughlin it represents a big step forward from just over 12 months ago when their pitch was flooded.

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He said: “Our problems didn’t start with the lockdown. Back in November last year, we had the floods here. That took us three or four months to recover from and get all the work and rebuilding done.

“As soon as we completed that in March, we went into lockdown. So really, we have had successive periods whereby the club has been struggling to keep going.”

“We are a positive club. We have used the lockdown period to improve the facilities here. There’s been a lot of renovation work on the ground.

“As football people, we have to do something to keep going and what we decided to do is to put our energy into improving the stadium. That’s been our prime work.”

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Chairman Ian Woodward remains confident that Town can keep going despite the lack of income and has vowed to carry on with the club’s future plans.

“We just had to make the decision that whatever happens, we just have to keep going. The club has got plenty of plans in place and we weren’t just going to stop,” said Woodward.

“Unfortunately, the football side we miss. That’s what we are here for; we are here to play actual football.

“Luckily we don’t have that many contracted players. That’s the only way we can survive so we were probably luckier than others.”

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On the field, The Nailers played their last game on the 31st October in a 3-3 draw at home to Spalding United.

And, while frustrated at the lack of action, boss Grant Black feels like the break has helped dwindle down their growing injury list.

He said: “To be fair the last week of the season [so far] we were strapping a lot of players up; we had got hamstrings and all sorts of stuff going off.

“If anything, it came at a good time as it gives those lads a chance to recuperate and they’ll be back fit for when we do start again. So that’s a positive.

“Overall though, it has just been frustrating and disappointing for everybody. The lads, the club and the fans that had started to be allowed in.”

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