Conference debt initiative achieves success

A Football Conference initiative to reduce debt among its member clubs, strongly supported by AFC Wimbledon when we were in that league, has reaped rewards.

All 68 Conference member clubs recently achieved the goal of being debt-free to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This is a significant turnaround from a time when collectively the clubs owed HMRC almost £2m.

Conference chairman Brian Lee said: ‘We can no longer leave to chance the long-term survival of clubs on short-term gambles.

‘It is not fair on supporters of these clubs to see winding up petition after winding up petition brought by HMRC.

‘We should applaud each and every club who work so hard to live within their means and rightly budget to only play at the level they can truly afford.’

The six-year campaign achieved its goal when Conference clubs recently submitted their financial figures for the latest quarter of the financial year.