The Newport County AFC Social Club
Link Here for New Social Club Photo Gallery Link here for New BarAmber Menu
Why Not Hire Your Clubhouse?
The clubhouse is available for hire and is taking bookings for weddings, christenings, anniversary and birthday parties, and sporting functions. We can cater for seated parties up to 200 people and bookings can be made by contacting Lisa Savage on 07801 710804 (answer phone facility on this number - so please leave a message and Lisa will return your call).
Hire the clubhouse... the perfect venue for County supporters and invest in the future of Newport County AFC.
A refundable deposit of £50 is requested for each booking. A charge will be made for the costs of staffing and running the clubhouse for private functions. For large functions this charge is negotiable. Bookings private functions. For large functions this charge is negotiable. Bookings can be taken for days/evenings on which Newport County AFC are at home but there are some restrictions on such bookings. The clubhouse is licensed for public entertainment.
The clubhouse is owned and managed by a private company limited by guarantee. There are eight directors. They are John Hill (Chair), David Hando (Company Secretary), Ron Black, Bob Herrin (Vice-Chair), Jeff Challingsworth, Shaun Johnson, Mike Everett and Rob Santwris. Mike Everett and Lisa Savage are responsible for cellar management and catering respectively. Sue Hill is responsible for accountancy. The joint licensees are Bob Herrin and Rob Santwris. All roles are voluntary and un-paid.
The project is a 'not-for-profit' enterprise. All profits generated will be invested in Newport County AFC and in an endowment fund for the construction of a permanent facility in the years to come.
ANOTHER COURT VICTORY
Newport County AFC Social Club has been in dispute with the Commissioners for HM Customs & Excise. The Vat man demanded £3,616 + interest on the donations made by Founder Members. Sue Hill had wisely advised us to invest in taxation insurance long before we knew we had a problem. We were, therefore, able to take the Commissioners to a Tribunal Hearing where we were legally represented.
During the four hour hearing the barristers argued such legal niceties as “Non contemporaneous reciprocity is the basis of legal obligation” and “Profit making or philanthropic ~ is it necessary but not sufficient to look at the Objects? Is it either or, or neither nor?”
In his forty minute cross examination David Hando stuck to the submission he had made on behalf of the Social Club. In a nutshell he argued that Founder Members had donated without expectation or hope of anything other than the building of a social club for the benefit of the football club, its own and visiting supporters and the local community. He further argued that Founder Members had no more benefits than match day guests making voluntary donations, other than having their names on a Members’ Board and not having to sign in, which, clearly, were not financial benefits. During the cross examination our barrister mildly rebuked David for answering his questions before he asked them!
In a sixteen page judgement the Tribunal unanimously accepted our case and sent the VAT man away empty handed. What will we do with money saved? The same as we do with any surpluses created ~ share it between paying off the bank loan, improving club facilities and giving further help to Newport County AFC.
WATCH THE BIRDIE!
There has been a fair bit of interest in the two photographs on display in the Social Club.
The one was taken at Morton in Marsh before kick off in the first competitive game of the re-born club in 1989 and contains details of players and directors and some background information. The other photograph is a hundred years older and shows the original Newport AFC in the 1890s with some apparently familiar faces!
Framed copies can be ordered from David Hando at £20 and £15 respectively.
We are indebted to Mr Arthur Davies, the Chairman of Blackwood Distillery (White & Mackay) for donating a case of Jago Vodka Cream Liquer for fundraising purposes. We are hoping Mr Davies will join us at a game so that we toast his very good health. Thanks to Cath Clarke for negotiating this generous donation.
THE FOUNDERS' MEMBERS BOARD is now in place in the entrance lobby. It displays the names of the 300 Founder Members of the 200 Club who kindly donated £45,000 to help build the Social Club. The final seven names (not in photograph) are Georgina Brown, Lorraine Cording, Daniel O'Sullivan, Ian Monaghan, Carolynn Purcell, Stewart Williams and Liam Hoey. Life membership is £150. Annual Membership is available for £10.
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THE BUY A BRICK DISPLAY is now in place. Many thanks to the supporters who donated £8,400 by buying 336 "bricks" Unfortunately it is not possible to add to this board. Also on display in the Social Club is a splendid framed Wales shirt, signed by the squad. It was donated to the 200 Club by Coors as a Christmas Draw prize. The winner was County AFC director Martyn Kings, who kindly donated it for display in the Social Club. Many thanks to Coors and to Martyn.
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NEWPORT COUNTY AFC SOCIAL CLUB LTD.
“200” CLUB PROJECT
Raise your glasses – a toast to success!
Welcome to the newest football supporters social club in the newest City in the United Kingdom.
The long wait is over. The clubhouse is open for business. With the construction and roofing of the new terrace and the opening of the clubhouse the Stadium is befitting of a higher grade of football. The clubhouse is a place to meet, greet, eat, drink, socialise and relax. The match day experience at Newport Stadium will be much the richer for the new clubhouse facility. The first official event at the clubhouse was a live broadcast by the BBC of the Midweek Sports Programme on the eve of the Wales versus Scotland international. The guests included former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe, rugby legend Gerald Davies, broadcasters Rob Phillips and Ian Gwynne Hughes, and our very own Peter Nicholas. What a start and what profile for Newport County AFC.
Supporters of Newport County AFC have been without a home of their own since their second enforced exile in 1992. At Somerton Park there was the Moreton Lounge and the Supporters’ Club and, in the old days, Paddy’s Bar and the Amber Bar. The King public house in Lliswerry served a useful purpose for a while but it was far too far from the Stadium to be a real clubhouse. Had a second exile to preserve our place in the Football League pyramid not been necessary the main stand at the Stadium would have been half as long again with a clubhouse incorporated in this more expansive structure. Although supportive of our cause, the City Council took the view at the time of building the Stadium that we may never return from exile. As a consequence the original clubhouse was never built.
When the 200 Club was formed in December 2000 the original clubhouse plans were reviewed and a scheme launched to build a permanent 400 capacity social club on the same site. Due to cost and complications with securing a bank loan this scheme was not possible. We therefore turned to ‘Plan B’ – a modular building. Plan B was more cost effective and quicker to implement at a time when escalating costs in the construction industry made the full scheme an impossibility. Plan B has worked and the feedback from visitors to the clubhouse is nothing but complimentary.
We all want the Social Club to be used as much as possible. The sooner the overheads of financing and running the facility are met the sooner the clubhouse will be generating a profit to financially support Newport County AFC. Suggestions for non-match day use are welcome as are bookings for private functions.
Warm thanks and congratulations are due to everyone who has made the Social Club possible by hard work, perseverance and financial support. The hours put into the venture are incalculable and the list of helpers endless. This project shows what we can all achieve when we stand and work together. Well done all concerned and thank you to you all for your support and your patience.
This information you need to visit and enjoy your new clubhouse.
Colin Everett and David Hando
on behalf of the Directors of
Newport County Social Club Limited
200 CLUB KITCHEN MENU
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR SOCIAL CLUB
How big is the clubhouse?
The floor space of the clubhouse is approximately 240 square metres. The clubhouse is a modular building built in Hull by Technicom. The building ‘sits’ on special foundations with ramped/stepped access from the car park and the pitch side. The building took less than three months to erect on site and fit out ready for opening.
What facilities are there inside?
A large lounge, sports bar, kitchen, toilets, storeroom and cellar. There is a large screen and SKY TV will be installed shortly. Pool, darts and skittles facilities may be provided if there is sufficient demand.
How many people can it hold?
The clubhouse has two floor layouts. On match days standing room is maximised by removing the central tables and chairs. The safety limit for match days with this layout is 460 people. The second layout is for functions and with all of the furniture laid out the clubhouse can comfortably seat 175 guests. The clubhouse has full disability access.
How much did the clubhouse cost?
The clubhouse cost approximately £180,000. The cost includes all furniture, fittings and equipment. The project was financed through a combination of founder membership fees, fund-raising events and donations, investments by supporters and club directors, and a bank loan.
Who runs the clubhouse project?
The clubhouse is owned and managed by a private company limited by guarantee. There are twelve directors. They are Eddie Wulff (Chair), John Hill (Vice-Chair), David Hando (Company Secretary), Mel Ashton, Ron Black, Wallace Brown, Phil Burgess, Colin Everett, Bob Herrin, Andy Hurst, Shaun Johnson and Rob Santwris. Mike Everett and Lisa Savage are responsible for cellar management and catering respectively. Sue Hill is responsible for accountancy. The joint licensees are Bob Herrin and Rob Santwris. All roles are voluntary and un-paid. The directors were appointed by the membership at its first general meeting. There are nearly 290 founder members. Annual general meetings will be held in the normal way.
When will the clubhouse be open?
The clubhouse will be open on match days from 11.00 a.m. onwards on Saturdays and from 6.00 p.m. in midweek. Other than for advertised functions and private functions the clubhouse will not be open during the week this season. As custom and demand grows the directors will review opening for live SKY broadcasts and on other days. Please respect the fact that the clubhouse is being run on a voluntary basis, with paid bar staff only being employed during periods of peak demand on match days and for private functions, and it is therefore not possible at this early stage to open throughout the week.
On matchdays access to the clubhouse before the game is through the main entrance, from the Stadium car park, only. Before the match members and guests will leave through the main entrance and gain entry to the ground through the turnstiles in the normal way (the turnstiles adjacent to the clubhouse, to date unused, will be opened by the Club for ease of entry to the ground). During half-time and at full time entry will be from the pitch side entrance.
What are the membership rules?
The 200 club is a members’ club. Our licence to sell liquor has been granted on this basis. Members are asked to display their membership card on match days and non-members will be ‘signed-in’ for the day. Founder members have paid £150 for the privilege of guaranteed and free entry to the clubhouse on match days. For the moment there is an entry fee of 50 pence for non-members on match days. The members of the 200 Club will be asked to decide on entry arrangements at their meeting on 26th March and whether to continue with the non-member entry charge.
The membership rules adopted at the first general meeting of the members state that “life members should present their membership cards to gain admission. Day members should sign in, retain a receipt and show it as requested by officers. Members’ guests may be admitted provided that they become Day Members. Suspended or expelled members may not be admitted as guests. Day members are admitted on a first come, first served basis in such numbers and on such payments as the officers from time to time decide”. Special arrangements are being made for entry for organised groups of away supporters.
What are the bar prices?
The clubhouse has a fully stocked bar. Draft beers are Worthington Creamflow (£1.85), Carling (£2.00), Strongbow (£2.00), Guinness (£2.20) and Grolsch (£2.20). Bottled beers and ‘alco-pops’ are available at £2.00 as are all spirits (35ml). A range of soft and hot drinks is also available. A full price list is on display in the clubhouse and is available on request. On match days a full menu will also be available - please refer to the display overleaf.
Can I hire the clubhouse for private functions?
Yes – the clubhouse is available for hire. Bookings can be made by contacting David Hando (on 07802 487042). A refundable deposit of £100 is requested for each booking. A charge will be made for the costs of staffing and running the clubhouse for private functions. For large functions this charge is negotiable. Bookings cannot be taken for days/evenings on which Newport County AFC are at home. The clubhouse will shortly be licensed for public entertainment.
How will the clubhouse project help Newport County AFC?
At last we have a social facility for our supporters to meet, greet and enjoy themselves in comfort. The match day ‘experience’ will be much the richer for the presence of the clubhouse. The project is a ‘not-for-profit’ enterprise. All profits generated will be invested in Newport County AFC and in an endowment fund for the construction of a permanent facility in the years to come.