Lottery winners Longlevens AFC co-manager Buster Davies has stated that money isn’t everything as the Gloucestershire side receive a huge six-figure financial boost.
Club President Bill Davis has been entering the Lotto on behalf of the club since the 1990s, after a group of members picked numbers. Over 30-years later, Davis’ persistence has paid off, with the club winning £1,000,000 – an amount that is set to secure the club’s future for the foreseeable future.
But with such a huge amount set to boost the club’s finances, Davies has insisted the club will not move away from the values that it was built on.
“There is an assumption that we’re going to start paying much more money, but that is not the Longlevens way. We’ve never had the financial power that a lot of clubs in our league have. We’ve built something through togetherness, commitment and people wanting to be here.
“There has been some banter going around, with players asking for a pay rise, but there have been some understandable concerns as to what it means for certain places in the squad. If the budget does increase, are new players coming in? As a manager, I have to understand both sides of that and get the balance right.
“Of course, money can help; it isn’t everything. We have got that togetherness from the top to the bottom of the club, that’s worth a great deal. Whatever happens next, I want us to protect that togetherness, which the club has been built on for years.”
With the club winning such a huge amount, it easily can be wasted, but Davies is adamant that Longlevens will not do such a thing. With talks set to take place in the coming days about the plan, Davies insists it will be a process taken with great care.
“As a club we’re going to be sitting down in the near future and discussing all the possibilities.We need to think about it carefully, think about what will make Longlevens better, what helps it become more competitive and what protects the club’s future.
“One thing that has been spoken about is potentially buying our ground, Saw Mills, where the first team, second team and under-18s play. That is something to explore, rather than a decision which has been made, but it would be an amazing opportunity, which we need to explore.”
Owning a ground is a foreign concept at this level; however, fellow Gloucestershire side Slimbridge AFC are a club lucky enough to have ownership of their ground, Thornhill Park.
Speaking in an interview with Parklife Sport, Slimbridge historian, archivist and press officer Tim Blake said it offers the club stability and no threat of losing their home in the future.
Could this be an insight into the future of Longlevens, and one that secures their place in the football pyramid for years to come?
