A FEW weeks ago, we published a letter from Mike Jones of Weaverham outlining his dismay at the region’s sporting struggles at adult level.

He referred specifically to football sides 1874 Northwich, Northwich Victoria and Winsford United, all of whom are close to or at the bottom of their respective league tables while that is also true of senior rugby union sides Northwich and Winnington Park.

> Read the original letter in full here

Now, we have received the following letter in response from Tony Fallows of Northwich…

I am writing with regards to your column in the Northwich Guardian and as an owner and founder member of 1874 Northwich Football Club.

The future of local non-league football is a source of regular conversation at our football club and personally, I think that the future is an amalgamation of the local football clubs into a 'Northwich United', which I am sure would be very successful given the town’s population is growing particularly with new residents from outside the local area and who don’t have the traditional allegiances of those of us whose families have lived in the town for many generations.

The town’s businesses and organisations could unite behind one club, including Cheshire West and Chester Council who I am sure have been reticent to help one local club for fear of alienating the other clubs in the town.

We cannot compete with the showbusiness lifestyle and glamour attached to the Premier League, particularly with young people who are our future, but one town team is something that could unite the disparate groups of supporters, local residents and other clubs in our area.

How we achieve this laudable state of affairs given the legal structure of our local clubs – whether they are private businesses, supporters cooperatives or other less transparent structures – will be the key.

It might have been Lenin who said “We either hang together or hang separately” which I think sums up the whole situation.

Tony Fallows

Northwich