Of course players are always being approached by other clubs but this seems pretty egregious if the reports are accurate. Walton are starting to get their better players picked off.Lord Elpus wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 6:53 pmSounds like a big club trying to throw their weight around with a smaller one and shows absolutely no respect to the club where he made his name. If true, I hope he gets into trouble for it.Tony wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 5:35 pm Big row brewing between Walton and Horsham and Yeovil after approaches by former W&H manager Billy Rowley to their contracted players.
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Lord Elpus
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It's all just so seriously unclassy isn't it. Just imagine...going to your former, much smaller, club's end of season do (assuming he was actually invited!) with your Head of Recruitment. It's a really terrible look and I don't blame Walton for going public. Yeovil should be deeply embarrassed.Tony wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 9:03 pmOf course players are always being approached by other clubs but this seems pretty egregious if the reports are accurate. Walton are starting to get their better players picked off.Lord Elpus wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 6:53 pmSounds like a big club trying to throw their weight around with a smaller one and shows absolutely no respect to the club where he made his name. If true, I hope he gets into trouble for it.Tony wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 5:35 pm Big row brewing between Walton and Horsham and Yeovil after approaches by former W&H manager Billy Rowley to their contracted players.
When I ran my own club in the pyramid albeit much lower down, standard insurance for statutory sick pay was just under £300, full insurance covering full wages and medical bills, loss of earnings etc was around £850.JimS wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 12:04 pmThe trouble is insurance covering full wages and medical bills would be incredibly expensive and take up a very significant part of the playing budget.Jamie wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 11:49 am Players and clubs instead of taking out the lowest insurance package that covers statutory sick pay, should take out higher packages that covers full wages and medical bills.
I've never agreed with whip rounds etc to support players being injured for this reason.
I remember a Hampton player who had a bucket collection when injured, I said at the time will he stay when back to fitness. Low and behold when was fit again he soon left for a better deal elsewhere.
I put it to our first team manager that the club would pay the higher amount. And the manager was against it, as wanted money for other things.
That was around 10 years ago, and I am sure being at step 2, the costs would be different perhaps.
However, if your a semi-pro player at step 2, earning hundreds of pounds a week, and being able to have membership to the Non League Players Association and suchlike, with access to insurance, I think it's crazy not to pay a very small % of your wages into a pot to cover yourself. It's just like house or car insurance. If players aren't protecting themselves when earning very good money and in a lot of cases as a second income, then I feel that's on them.
Why should or would fans do collections or donations to cover being injured, when they could be protected and covered.
The chairman there has previously plunged Scunthorpe and Ilkeston into financial ruin. Not a good sign for Matlock.Tony wrote: Fri May 15, 2026 12:50 pm Not NLS, but just read that Matlock in step 4 had a £14k per week player budget. That’s top end NLS ( or maybe not these days!).
I didn't say fans should carry out collections or make donations. I merely pointed out the likely significant costs of clubs providing the insurance level you suggested.Jamie wrote: Fri May 15, 2026 1:00 pmWhen I ran my own club in the pyramid albeit much lower down, standard insurance for statutory sick pay was just under £300, full insurance covering full wages and medical bills, loss of earnings etc was around £850.JimS wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 12:04 pmThe trouble is insurance covering full wages and medical bills would be incredibly expensive and take up a very significant part of the playing budget.Jamie wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 11:49 am Players and clubs instead of taking out the lowest insurance package that covers statutory sick pay, should take out higher packages that covers full wages and medical bills.
I've never agreed with whip rounds etc to support players being injured for this reason.
I remember a Hampton player who had a bucket collection when injured, I said at the time will he stay when back to fitness. Low and behold when was fit again he soon left for a better deal elsewhere.
I put it to our first team manager that the club would pay the higher amount. And the manager was against it, as wanted money for other things.
That was around 10 years ago, and I am sure being at step 2, the costs would be different perhaps.
However, if your a semi-pro player at step 2, earning hundreds of pounds a week, and being able to have membership to the Non League Players Association and suchlike, with access to insurance, I think it's crazy not to pay a very small % of your wages into a pot to cover yourself. It's just like house or car insurance. If players aren't protecting themselves when earning very good money and in a lot of cases as a second income, then I feel that's on them.
Why should or would fans do collections or donations to cover being injured, when they could be protected and covered.
For anyone interested in the business side of our league, worth listening to the Price of Football podcast of 29 April with Maidstone Utd owner Oliver Ash and Dulwich Hamlet chairman Ben Clasper. Fair to say they don’t have much good to say about how the NL is run and the crazy economics of football at our level. One NL team with a £7m player budget!
