Name – Steve Cartwright 
Age – 54
Favourite Team – Coalville Town
Occupation –  General Manager of an Agricultural and Construction Machinery Dealer
One thing I love about football is – The friendships I have made through it
Football pet hate – Players who have no idea what goes on in a club and the hours volunteers put in to enable them to play football on a Saturday 
Best player you have ever seen play in real life – Tom McGlinchey 

Q) Can you describe the series of events that led to the club chairman stepping down and the initial announcement that the club would cease to exist?

I think that has been well documented by Glyn in other interviews he has given so I don’t want to go over that, what I would say though is Glyn is one of my closest friends and I fully support his decision to do what he did. If the club can achieve 1% of the success it had under Glyn then it would be a great achievement and for me personally Whatever happens going forward it will never be the same without Glyn there being involved. One of the highlights of my life was when we won at Notts County and Glyn and I were in the Directors Box at Meadow Lane and as 5 minutes of injury time was put up by the linesman nether of us could remain in our seats and we stood at the front of the stand for what seemed like an eternity. When the final whistle blew to be stood with him for just a few seconds whilst we took it all in was a special moment

Q) What were the immediate reactions within the club and the wider community when the news broke that Coalville Town might be shutting down?

I think first of all shock & sadness, as over the last few seasons the on field side had been very successful so people weren’t expecting it. Within the club we felt extremely sad also as the club means a huge amount to them, me included, and for the first couple of days I didn’t really want to talk to anyone about it. 

Q) How did you and your team come together to form a plan to save Coalville Town Football Club?

It came together by a accident almost, I went to the ground a couple of days after the announcement, mainly to collect a few things from the office but to also have a look around. Whilst I was there, I met Wayne McDermott who is the driving force behind the very successful junior and women’s section of the club. and he asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee and we just started talking and within an hour or so we had formulated a plan to try and save senior football at the club

Q) What motivated you personally to step in and take action to save the club?

The club has been such a huge part of my life for 16 years. I first joined as a coach of the first girls team at the club and at the time I was a season ticket holder at Leicester City, this coincided with them being relegated to League One the third tier in English football and I had just got disillusioned with professional football, so I saw on the website that the men’s team were playing at home, this was Bank Holiday Monday in August 2008 and I had hardly missed a game since, I just couldn’t see it stop. I also have a lot of friends who wouldn’t have anything to do on a Saturday afternoon.

Q) What were some of the biggest challenges or obstacles you faced in the effort to save the club?

Time was the biggest challenge, as it was the end of the season and The FA had already announced the league allocations for the next season so we had a deadline of 72 hours set by The FA to submit our proposal, business plan and cashflow forecasts. Other clubs such as Macclesfield, Bury and Nuneaton who had been through a similar process had several months to prepare their plans, so to have our proposals unanimously approved by the FA Committee was very pleasing.

Q) How did the decision to play in a lower league impact the rescue plan, and what were the considerations behind this decision?

We had no choice but to play in a lower league, those are the rules when a club is in our situation so the plan was always to play at Step 6

Q) What does it mean to you personally to have saved Coalville Town for the community and its fans?

It means a lot as I have many friends who are supporters and to get their backing has been important but there were a number of other  people involved in the process and it was a shared achievement amongst us all.

Q) How have the players, staff, and supporters responded to the news that the club has been saved?

The players, managers coaches etc from the previous team had either already left or left when it was announced we had resigned from the league. I have a had a few messages from ex players offering their congratulations. The local community has been absolutely fantastic and the support we have received has been overwhelming 

Q) What are your immediate plans and priorities for Coalville Town as you prepare for the upcoming season in the lower league?

To get through the season and be financially stable and self sufficient

Q) Looking ahead, what are your long-term goals for the club, and how do you plan to achieve them?

We want to be as successful as possible and try and climb back up the non-league pyramid but it has to be self sufficient,

Q) What have you learned from this entire experience, and what advice would you give to others who might find themselves in a similar situation?

I have learnt that you need to involve the community, don’t be afraid to ask for help and be open and honest with the supporters.

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A massive thank you to Steve and everyone else who has come together to help preserve Coalville Town 1st team football for the community, it is a story which warms the heart as we all know the vital work that football brings into peoples lives.

First team football is back tonight as the team travels to Dunton & Broughton for their first match back – an exciting time for the club and the local area!

If you are willing and able to the club currently have a crowdfunding link live which has been setup to cover all of the runnings costs before the season gets under way whilst there is no gate revenue for the club.

All donations are warmly welcomed – https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Coalville-Town?utm_id=1&utm_term=xYanbp2w3

Until next time!!