Since Stafford Rangers first launched their Stand Together campaign only a few weeks ago the response from fans has been incredible and the club has now raised just over £50,000.
The overwhelming response has now been recognised by the wider football community with a glowing supportive statement from the Chairman of the Northern Premier league, Mark Harris who comments.
Mark Harris
Chairman - Northern Premier League
“Many congratulations to Stafford Rangers on breaking the £50,000 fund raising barrier! I am inspired by the innovative way in which the Rangers are reacting to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The share sale and virtual match day experiences are superb ideas and it’s wonderful to see Rangers fans and those who care about non-league football coming together in this way. I hope that the Rangers’ example will help other clubs to think creatively in keeping their clubs going until football can return. This is one of many fantastic initiatives being rolled out by our clubs and their incredible volunteers and supporters. To be fund raising and maintaining your profiles in your local communities is even more remarkable at a time when all traditional income channels have been severely impacted, if not wrecked completely. No-one knows how long this will last, so it’s more important than ever that – like the Rangers and its amazing fans – we all Stand together.”
The initiative from the club enabled fans to attend virtual games and buy shares and the club has already set out their intentions to try and raise an additional £90,000 through commercial activity with a goal to make the club debt free and ensure the club has a sustainable future.
Not only have local supporters taken up the challenge It seems that once you set foot in Marston Road the love never leaves you if the list of benefactors is anything to go by. The Boro have had contributions from exiles in Cambridgeshire, Cardiff, Cheshire, Devon, East and West Sussex, Essex, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln and Lincolnshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Somerset, Southampton, South London, Sunderland, North and West Yorkshire, and the Canary Islands!
A spokesperson for the Business Continuity Group driving the initiatives states,
“We have the best fans in the country who love their football club and they have been so generous in their support. We now have a responsibility to look at all aspects of the club to deliver something very special to everyone that visits Marston Road. Our vision is to make Stafford Rangers the best club in non-league football both on and off the pitch. With support like this there is no reason why we can’t achieve this but despite the fundraising clubs like ours still face substantial challenges in the short term to balance budgets and find a way forward. We seek to try and meet our fans expectations but this has to be done very carefully as the future landscape is still an unknown.”
