Deadline day deal secures future

Fans, players and officials at the 135-year-old club and Amateur Cup winners breathed a collective sigh of relief on Friday after the one year agreement to share Valerie Park for the 2017-18 season was approved by the EVO-STIK NPL.

With the Football Association’s annual March 31 deadline for all clubs to confirm security of tenure on their grounds for the following season fast approaching on Monday, Skem's future in the league had been hanging in the balance after officials and their landlords at the West Lancashire College Stadium failed to agree a new lease or extend the current deal.

After the blow of relegation last weekend, Skelmersdale United chairman Paul Griffiths and other officials warned that the deadlock was threatening the club’s survival, promoting an outpouring of support for their plight from the Non-League game and around the world.

In a statement thanking the Tigers for riding to their rescue, Griffiths said: “To secure the immediate future of the club we had to look at other ways to achieve security of tenure for next season and the only way that could be achieved was to enter into a ground-share agreement with another club.

“I am glad to say that we have accomplished this and Mr Anthony Zavarona, the chairman of Prescot Cables, has been nothing but extremely helpful in coming to our rescue. I can't thank him enough.”

Image courtesy of www.saturday3.com/Antti's football scarves

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