TOOLSTATION League first division soccer champions Wellington made a working profit of £9,657 during the past year, it was reported at its annual meeting.

This was about £1,000 up on the previous 12 months, treasurer Reg Oxby said in his annual report to the meeting.

The club, which will be running 28 sides this winter, had also spent £6,000 on improving its clubhouse in North Street. Expenditure on the first and reserve sides amounted to £11,608 and the running costs of the clubhouse came to more than £20,000.

Mr Oxby, treasurer for the past seven years, told me after the meeting: “We have had to do a lot of work on the clubhouse over the years. Without a clubhouse, you have no football.

“It has been our aim over recent years to build up our finances. We want to play at the highest level - possibly Southern League - and it may be we will have to start paying players again.

“We might also have to look at the possibility of moving away from the Playing Field and buying our own ground. We are very much under the control of the local council.

“At the moment we have to play a number of away games at the start of the season because the ground is being used by the cricketers.

“Buying our own ground is something we may have to think about one-day but not at the present. Over recent years we have been successful in moving into profit and one of the ways we have done this has been to stop paying wages to players.”

“We are now looking to provide disabled facilities at the clubhouse and to improve the floodlights on the ground.”

Officers elected included: chairman Mike Hall; vice chairman Graham Aspin; secretary David Derrick; treasurer Reg Oxby; membership secretary Jane Brown; clubhouse managers Reg and Jenny Oxby; welfare officer and youth co-ordinator Colin Waller.

n Wellington’s first team will find it much tougher next season because they will be playing in the Premier Division of the Toolstation.

They will come up against clubs who pay their players.

Manager Clive Jones has succeeded to keeping virtually his entire first team squad and will also have club captain Sam Bryant and Ollie Nott available. Both missed virtually the whole of last season.

“Playing in the premier division is going to be a big challenge for everyone,” he said. “But we’re up for it and will give it our best shot.”

Wellington’s players report back for pre-season training tomorrow (Thurs).