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A football manager has dipped into his own pocket to help his team survive the coronavirus crisis.
Fans of Isthmian League side Folkestone Invicta, who were chasing promotion before the season was declared null and void, set an initial target of £3,000 through a gofundme page and they reached that in less than a week.
The new target is to raise £4,000 and they are well on their way.
Boss Neil Cugley was one of those to donate, adding £105 to the kitty.
It all helps and chairman Paul Morgan has spoken of his gratitude to those offering their financial support.
He said: “The football club has no income coming in until this is over.
“All events at Bar Invicta has had to be cancelled but we still have money to pay out and the finances are going to be very tight.
“I have seen on the forum and web site that the supporters club has started a donation page to raise money for the football club to get us over this very bad period and again I can’t thank you all who have donated.
“This is what I mean when I tell people what a fantastic club this is and I am very proud to be a part of it.”
Invicta’s last game was on March 10 and like the rest of non-league, they face a tough few months ahead, with no football likely now until July, at the earliest.
The supporters’ account was launched after the Isthmian Premier club's board revealed they might struggle to meet their financial obligations beyond the end of this month, saying: “It will get very tough indeed."
The statement explained: "With no income whatsoever, there are still monthly bills for utilities, rent, basic pitch maintenance to prevent the pitch deteriorating to an extent where we couldn't restart football, and these have to be paid whether we are playing or not.
"Everyone at the club is absolutely determined that Folkestone Invicta FC will get through this if we all pull together."
Invicta were sitting fourth in the Isthmian League, Premier Division before the season was called off. They were also through to the semi-finals of the Velocity Trophy.
Their long-serving manager said: “There are more important matters but it is obviously disappointing because we have had such a good season, some big games coming up, play-off games coming up, maybe a cup final, maybe it could have gone our way but it’s not to be.
“We have got a good chairman in Paul Morgan, who puts some money in and Jim Pellet, who does the accounts. We are a well run club and we will get on with it.
“I put some money in [to the fund]. We have lots of good people, we are very lucky to have good fans and people who are willing to put some of their money into the club, it is well run and they know the money is going to go towards the right things.
“We will be alright, we will get over it, it is a big disappointment but you move on don’t you?”
Dover Athletic, meanwhile, have also seen fans generously donate to a gofundme page.
Their chairman Jim Parmenter said last week that the club has run out of money. Supporter Jamie Parsons set up his page and has currently had over £4,000 pledged.
