STOURBRIDGE vice-president Stephen Hyde believes football’s enforced shutdown has strengthened the bond between the club and its supporters.

The Glassboys were sixth in the Southern League Premier Division Central when action was called to a halt in March, leading to a testing few months for non-league clubs up and down the land.

“It has been very difficult,” Hyde said.

“We still had contracts to pay with no income. Over the summer we would generally be building up reserves through bar income but all of that has disappeared.

“Utility bills still need to be paid – we still have all the overheads but no income. The uncertainty has been tough, too. We keep having supporters asking questions but, until recently, we haven’t been able to give them any answers.”

With a new campaign just around the corner, however, the gradual easing of restrictions has offered the opportunity for supporters to come back to a place they have missed calling home every other Saturday and prepare it for action.

“We’ve had a good response to our work parties in the summer, with people coming along and doing weeding and painting,” Hyde said.

“We have been laying a new pathway to introduce a new one-way system around the ground and we had a tremendous response to that. People turned out in force.

“We are quite fortunate in that respect. With a fanbase of around 600, you’ll get people that are prepared to come.

“It has given people something to do. They read the website every day and nothing changes, then they get a call to help out and it gets them out the house. It probably has strengthened the bond between the club and the supporters.”

The impact of these volunteers at clubs like Stourbridge is being highlighted by the newly-launched Pitching In initiative, which aims to facilitate and encourage community volunteers to do some pitching in of their own, contributing their time and effort.

The multi-million-pound, multi-year, investment programme is being launched with a flagship partnership with The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues – collectively known as The Trident Leagues.

Pitching In will deliver vitally needed financial support as the leagues and their member clubs seek to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown, as well as shining a light on the unsung heroes that keep clubs ticking over.

The programme has also grabbed the attention of football royalty, with former England captain Stuart Pearce offering his support having started his career at Wealdstone FC.

“Our volunteers are vital – we have a good band of them at Stourbridge,” Hyde said.

“As we’ve risen up the leagues, people perhaps assume that we don’t need the help anymore – but we do.

“My message to those thinking about helping out would be to come along and give it a go. We are an asset to the community so come along, be part of the community and help a community venture.”

Stourbridge have introduced an electronic ticketing system for the upcoming season, with Hyde expecting all-ticket matches to become commonplace as the club adapt to capacity limits – “fans can’t go to EFL or Premier League games and will want their football fix on a Saturday.”

Supporters also have reason to be optimistic about the club’s on-field prospects.

The Glassboys are managed by former Cheltenham Town boss Mark Yates and have added several players with higher-division experience over the summer – including Ellis Deeney, the younger brother of Watford star Troy.

“Everybody is so keen to get back to it and there is a real excitement around the place.”

GVC is launching a new multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports and is being launched with a flagship partnership with The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues - collectively known as The Trident Leagues. For more information visit: https://gvc-plc.com/PitchingIn