Pic: AFC Fylde
AFC FYLDE have announced they will be going full-time for next season – a move boss Dave Challinor reckons gives the Coasters a “real advantage”.
The ambitious National League North side narrowly missed out on promotion to Non-League's top flight, losing to North Ferriby United in the promotion final a fortnight ago.
The Coasters had planned to go full-time if they had won that game but they have now revealed they will be going ahead with the move as they look to escape the ultra competitive National League North.
Boss Challinor signed a one-year extension to his deal last week and the club are set to move into their new Mill Farm ground ahead of the new season.
And the former Colwyn Bay manager says the Coasters will be “doing it properly” as they move into a more professional model.
“We are moving into a new era for the club with a new stadium and we felt it was the right time to go full-time,” Challinor said.
“We have spoken about if for a while now and had we gone up we would have definitely done it. Missing out on promotion put question marks over it, but it was quickly decided after the game that the infrastructure is now in place to make this step up.
“It won't be full-time on a part-time basis, we won't be training two or three days a week, we will be doing it properly. We are going into this with a professional mindset and we want the lads to take on the mentality of being full-time footballers which ultimately gives us the best opportunity of getting out of what will be a very difficult division.
“There are two or three clubs at this level that are already full-time and it gives you the scope to work with players on a regular basis. It also gives us a chance to bring in younger players and coach them properly.
“That was always difficult with part-time players as lads sometimes have had tough days at work and that makes training in the evening difficult. This gives us a real advantage.”
Chairman David Haythornthwaite added: “It's a big decision but the right one. We knew we would have to make this move at some time in the future and with us moving into the new stadium in August it just seemed right to do it now.
“The cost implications are obvious for all to see and our wage bill will grow dramatically as we will now be paying 44 weeks as opposed to 38, but this is all part of putting the club on the best professional footing. It will also help us attract a better quality of player which is ultimately what we all want.”
