2. The advent of the new century and the opportunities afforded by the proposed new ground mean that the club is at a crossroad in their development and everyone concerned with the club see this as a springboard for the future.

3. Having over the past ten years established ourselves within the Northern Counties East League we are now ready to move up into the 'big time' of Non-league soccer - the Unibond League. We have an excellent supporter base giving consistently high weekly 'gates' and an even wider base within the local community which supports many of our off the field ventures. Local sponsorship of our club is high and increasingly attracts commercial investors. We have also played an increasing role within the local community by providing facilities and opportunities that can be enjoyed and which enhance local provision.

4. We would see the opportunities of the new ground proposals as the right framework to build upon these positive aspects of our club and increasingly develop a wide based local provision to be enjoyed by all.

5. In any provision developed we would see certain common threads running through:   

• Participation
• Excellence
• Building on previous success
• Opportunities and access for all
• Local Need · Value for money
• Education and continuing personal development
• The development of skills
• Club Structure
• Sportsmanship & Conduct

6. These would be the cornerstones of any initiatives, programmes and other developments that are undertaken.

a. Participation 

Arnold  Town have a well documented history of wide participation. Teams run from Under 9's to our Vets teams. We also have a developing women's section and are constantly on the look out to develop other groups and teams. Our venture into the Under 19's Academy league has been an overwhelming success and has been an important bridge between school football and senior level, It is an area we will be developing further. In any one week upwards of 270 people are turning out in Arnold colours. We would see this growing with the facilities offered by the new ground. In addition to those turning out in Arnold colours we have a vast number - approx. 500 - who are club members and already participate fully in the life of the club - we would see the new ground as a means of further involving more people in a variety of roles within our club. In addition to the figures quoted above, we have a very extensive supporter and community base - numbering well into the thousands. This ensures that we are one of the best supported clubs at our level - and, in may cases above - within the non-league pyramid.

In addition to the traditional soccer base we are looking to develop other areas. The opportunities for training and wider coaching afforded by the new venue will allow us to consider associated skills and coaching - general ball skills, introductions to other forms of invasion and defence sports, minor and small sided games more suitable to younger children.

We have recently been asked to host an international soccer match on behalf of the British Deaf Association. This is an area that we would be very interested in furthering - and the opportunity to develop local links with bodies representing the interests of groups such as these would be a vital part of our new set up.

In a wider, but ultimately more important and fundamental way, we see 'participation' as being the cornerstone of the club's life. This does not just mean participation on the field of play or in joining one of the 'teams' or 'skills group'. Rather, it means being a participant member of our club - as a supporter, as a helper, as a friend, as a member of the local community. We do not see Arnold Town as being a football club - important though that is - we see it as a football club where all who wish to be involved can be active, participant members, who by the participation will enrich their own lives and that of others.

b. Excellence

At all levels of participation we would see the quest for development and excellence as crucial. At all times and in all places we would see it as mandatory that we  make individuals better players - at whatever game be it senior soccer, basic ball skills, small games skills etc.

We have a well established coaching system based upon ex-professionals, local teachers, qualified EUFA coaches and keen amateurs. We are constantly striving to improve our coaching credentials so that the standards and opportunities increase for all. Links with local schools and other sporting organisations will further enhance provision.

Throughout our provision runs the thread of increasing opportunity to participate at an increasingly high level -  ladder of opportunity and progress -  so that every individual can perform at the highest level possible for their abilities. We would also see it as an obligation upon us that we are not simply producing quality young players for our own teams - if we can develop a young player who elects to move on elsewhere then we feel proud that we have done a good job in providing the skills, habits and opportunities for a life time of sport.

Within this context we are always on the look out to establish links with other sporting bodies - professional clubs, other non league and local clubs etc. to ensure that we work hand in hand for the good of all.

The facilities offered by our new club are also based on the premise of excellence. Society now demands high standards of facility and service. Arnold own recognise this. Indeed, we already have a high reputation within the spheres that we currently operate for quality provision, standards and hospitality. We see the new ground as a crucial vehicle to further raising the standards of provision so that all who are part of the club or who visit the club in whatever capacity regard the experience as worth while and pleasurable. Equally, the quality of provision for the various sporting activities to take place is also to be of the highest standard; for too long sport in Britain has languished as a poor relation to much of what is on offer in other places. Arnold Town cannot offer the facilities of Old Trafford or Real Madrid but we can offer appropriate high quality provision which will encourage young and old to want to be members of our club and take advantage of what is on offer and available.

In these latter points relating to excellence of provision we would see it as incumbent upon our club to wherever possible promote football in particular and sport in general.  The attraction of people to the game(s) in whatever capacity - player, supporter, child, family, etc. - and their continuing participation not only benefits our club but benefits sport in general and we believe enriches the life of those individuals and their community.

c. Building on Previous Success

As noted above Arnold Town have built upon success and are now ready to 'move up' into the 'big time' of non-league football. With a firm base in the local community dating back some 50 years Arnold Town was formed in 1989 out of the old established Arnold F.C. and Arnold Kingswell F.C. From early competition in the Central Midlands League we are now only a short step from Unibond  level and all that goes with it. During the last ten years we have achieved increasing success in major competitions - F.A.Cup, Vase  and Northern Counties East. This year (2002) saw us achieve our furthest point in the F.A. Vase when we reached the last sixteen.

In three out of the previous four years we have gained recognition of our success in the early rounds of the F.A. Cup by becoming eligible for the grant monies from the F.A. for further ground development - a recognition by the F.A. of a club with a future. Every penny of these monies has been spent to improve playing and spectator facilities - new hard standing, entry turnstiles, pitch widening, perimeter fencing etc. The result is that Gedling Road is respected as one of the best appointed venues in the Northern Counties East League.

We are associate members of the F.A. and full members of Nottinghamshire F.A. - again a reflection of our success, ambition, respect and potential for higher status. We regularly host fixtures on behalf of Nottinghamshire F.A. and various Nottinghamshire Leagues.   Some four years ago we took the first steps in developing our girls' and women's section - in today's world a vital component of any club.  Our club programme is regularly rated in the top twenty of the best one thousand non-league programmes. Our club web site is regularly visited by those wishing to know more about us.

Two years ago we entered the F.A. Youth Cup for the first time and this year we have made what we see as  a vital club development - the setting up of our Under 19 squad to play in the Northern Under 19 Alliance League. This allows us to forge links with local schools and colleges, build upon the firm base that we have with our Arnold Boys section and provide that all important link between school boy, junior and senior football.

We are now ready to develop our club and all associated with it to the next level - to achieve greater success on the field but as important provide greater participation and opportunity for all associated with the club.

d. Opportunities & Access For All

As noted above Arnold Town are committed to opportunity and access for all. Not only does this mean providing footballing and coaching  opportunities for specific groups it also means providing the required services to allow opportunity and access. Changing facilities, access facilities, care facilities if required are just three examples.

The club are mindful of their local responsibilities and for many years have established a link with the local special school which caters for children with various  learning difficulties. We would be anxious to use our new facility to develop this and other similar links to provide educational, coaching and opportunities  that may be unavailable elsewhere and which would provide an direct benefit to the people involved and enhance their life.

In modern society sporting institutions must, if they are succeed recognise that very many other interests and calls are being made upon people's time. The days are long gone when a football club at any level can disregard the full spectrum of society. Arnold have long recognised this and the opportunities afforded by the new ground will enable a programme of local initiatives and access to be developed - for example use of the clubhouse facility by particular groups such as older people, young families, provision for local interest groups etc. We would see the club as an integral part of the society it serves contributing as much or more to that society than it gets from it.

e. Local Need

Following from the above the club are constantly on the look out for ways of working with the local community to identify and support local need. We are anxious to work with the local council, schools and other agencies to provide facilities or expertise or advice which will build upon and enhance current provision. The club already enjoys strong bonds with local schools and colleges and would see new stadium as an admirable opportunity to further strengthen these links by mutual cooperation and support.

Equally, the club already provides an number of non-sports events throughout the year which enrich the life of the local community - for example bonfire celebrations, quiz evenings, etc. We would wish to develop these further by working with the community to identify and be part of supporting provision.

Finally, we would see the club as a place where the local community can feel an active involvement. We already benefit from the hard work, expertise and good will of a number of local people. They give of their time and expertise freely to enrich the life of the club but also as a source of interest and friendship to themselves. We would see this as a vital function of our club - engendering the spirit of community and providing informal opportunities for individuals to be active and valued within the society of the club.

f. Value for Money

As indicated above, Arnold Town are building upon past effort and success and aspiring to a better future. Throughout our  history the club committee and all associated with the club have striven to ensure value for money in order that the maximum number of people may benefit from our club and that we can provide the best service, facility and opportunity for all.

Budgets and closely monitored, business plans made, reviewed and evaluated. Sponsorship is sought, local businesses and individuals involved in the life of the club. Close monitoring of the use of funds from the F.A., the Northern Counties League etc. has enabled us to make a series of significant ground and facility improvements during the past decade. No organisation can ignore the importance of value for money - in the end 'good housekeeping' means better facilities for players, spectators, young and old - indeed all associated with the club. No club can today expect to gain the support of its community if it does not provide the facilities that people in the 21st century wish to enjoy and so a sound financial base, close monitoring and plans for the future are paramount if we are to survive and develop.

There is another aspect, however, to 'value for money' and that is the value for money that we will (and wish to further) provide for our sport and the community that we serve. Participation, opportunity, the development of excellence etc. are what we provide and in doing so we seek to ensure that we are making vital contribution to the life of the community and the individuals within it. In providing the facilities and opportunities that we presently do and propose to develop further we are enabling many people to improve their skills and quality of life within the their local community. By gaining sponsorship, by forging links with local schools, by working closely with the local council, by working with the F.A. and other associated bodies, by developing our own programmes of self help and continuing development we are creating a local facility that adds something to the area and benefits all.

g. Education and Continuing Personal Development

Of crucial importance in our strategy for the new century is the notion of education and continuing personal development. This is critical at a number of levels. At a footballing level our local and national game will continue to improve as education goes hand in hand with the development of footballing skills. Indeed, the F.A. has wisely taken this on board in their development of the schools of excellence and academy systems. At Arnold we would seek to further this. We already have strong formal and informal ties with local schools and colleges and we see to further develop these. Indeed, our new complex has classroom facilities at its very heart and we would see the integration of classroom and football pitch as the way ahead.

As an addition to this, however, we have a vision of the club providing advice, support, coaching and expertise on a wider base. Links with other clubs, links with the wider community, events that will advise young people of options and opportunities available  (such as sports scholarships, training programmes, etc.). We would see ourselves as a catalyst to provide young people (and indeed others) with the opportunity to further enhance their life and sport.

To this end we are interested in further involving local expertise and advice - local employers, careers advice agencies, individuals with particular skills etc. who can support, provide contacts, advise and widen the educational, sporting, career and personal horizons of those associated with the club.

h. The Development of Skills

Arnold Town is fundamentally a football club and as such is concerned with the development of football skills. We have high quality coaches and  well developed coaching and skill development programmes almost from cradle to grave. The whole basis of these programmes is to make individuals - whatever their age, background or ability -  into better players. As noted above, we primarily think in footballing terms but our awareness and commitment to education and the wider need of our locality lead us to the understanding that we need to develop skills in the wider context. With the very young basic ball skills, small sided games to encourage the notion of attack and defence and team membership might be appropriate . Individual skill development that not only improve a particular aspect of ball control or fitness but also make the person feel better about themselves.

On the wider front, we would see skills as to do with being a member of a team or group. Football is a team game and as such requires people to work and play together. Sport of any kind is an admirable vehicle for developing not only team support but mutual understanding and respect -  in other words basic social skills. In today's society we would see this as a vital role to develop from the earliest ages - a respect for the opposition, an understanding of our respective strengths and weaknesses - these are vital skills which make individuals better players and teams better teams. They are they basis upon which teams are built.

Equally, sport of any kind has an intrinsic discipline. If one is to succeed at any sport there is a need to recognise that personal and professional discipline is required. The ability to take praise and criticism in equal measure, the ability to be focused on behalf of yourself and your team mates, issues of loyalty, the ability to strive to do well are all basic issues that define not only a footballer but also a well developed human being.

These are what we at Arnold Town mean as skill development - not simply better dribbling or shooting skills - important  though they are - but life skills that will help make individuals better players and people  and consequently better teams.

i. Club Structure

We have a well established structure within  the club to further our ambitions. The main committee has a clear structure, is closely minuted and administered in all respects. We have a very hard working and ambitious supporters club who work closely with us to reach our common goals. We have various liaison meetings with all other interested parties - the various sections within our club such as the Boys' sections, the women's section, the youth section etc. Meetings are held regularly with the4 local council and with other local bodies to ensure that we are working to a common goal.

The themes underpinning and running through all such meetings are those identified in this document: participation, excellence, opportunity, value for money, sportsmanship etc.

j. Sportsmanship & Conduct

Finally, Arnold Town see our new facility and the crossroads that we are now at as an admirable opportunity to reaffirm or commitment to sportsmanship and to identify what this will mean in the future. As a club we concur with and support whole heartedly the Football Association's policy and statements on sportsmanship, discrimination and equality of opportunity. As a club we would wish in  whatever we did to foster respect for the individual, provide opportunities for everyone associated with the club in whatever capacity to have their skills, background, views and beliefs valued and respected. Arnold Town would not tolerate individuals or groups who sought to infringe the basic rights of individuals or groups within the club.

We would see it as fundamental to acceptance into our club that the Football Association's Code of Conduct (1998) is adhered to by all and a vital role of the governing body of our club to ensure that the  Code of Conduct is applied fairly and unequivocally throughout the club in respect of all its aspects:

• Community
• Equality
• Participation
• Young People
• Trust and Respect
• Violence
• Fairness 
• Integrity and Fair Play
• The Conduct of Coaches
• The Conduct of Players
• The Conduct of Match Officials
• The Conduct of Team Officials

Finally, Arnold Town see the above values and requirements  as implicit in what we expect of our friends and supporters in order that every visit to our club in whatever capacity - player, child, coach, match official, teacher, pupil, friend, visiting supporter, neighbour, etc. -  is a safe and valued experience which benefits all involved and  promotes soccer as a sport and enriches the individual and his or her local community.