sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Sunday League Manager Invests In Card Machine To Keep On Top Of Match Fees

Sunday League Manager Invests In Card Machine To Keep On Top Of Match Fees

No excuses.

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare

JK Silvertown FC manager Benjamin Short has invested in a card machine to cut out the "I've got no cash" excuses from his Sunday League team.

The 36-year-old, from Rayleigh, Essex, was fed up with "pisstakers" who only brought their bank card to training and match days.

"I have limited the amount of excuses from the lads with this idea with this," Short told SPORTbible. "I don't like being left with invoices to pay when players make up silly excuses.

"We train at a local school which is expensive as well."

Image: JK Silvertown/Facebook
Image: JK Silvertown/Facebook

First team players also had to splash out a hefty amount if they wanted to play for the club this season.

"I have also changed the signing on fee." he said. "I've set it as £30, so that's the maximum for contactless payments. They can just slap their card on the reader."

JK Silvertown, who play in the Essex Sunday Combination Senior Divsion, are also serial offenders when it comes to picking up yellow cards.

But then again, the fines can always be paid on the trusty card machine, eh Ben?

"It makes life easier with the card machine!" he says.

The gaffer knows exactly who the biggest offenders are.

"It's the ones who are probably the richest in the team. They plead poverty but drive around in flash cars and wear expensive clothes.

"The best excuse in the book is "I'm skint Gaffa!" but I chase them around with the card reader, so there's no excuses.

"Also, when we're down there pub, I tend to get money out of them when they are half drunk!"

Ben didn't name any names in our interview, but he did point to a certain someone.

"The worst would be the guy in the photo who's paying on card. I call him 'The Sunday League Pogba.'

"When he's on it, he's on it but when he ain't he pulls a 'Pogba performance' and we argue like cat and dog."

Image: JK Silvertown FC/Facebook
Image: JK Silvertown FC/Facebook

JK Silvertown finished second in Division One during the 2019/20 campaign, winning promotion to the league above, but last season was declared null and void because of the Coronavirus outbreak.

They are flying again, though, after back to back promotions.

"At the moment we are top of the senior division with four games to go," says Ben.

"We just need to keep at it now. It's been a mad one with all the lockdowns, but it's good to be back playing.

"I can't knock any players this season for performances, as we are doing well at the moment, but it's the business end of the season now and with us being near the top, the pressure is on."

We wish Ben and his team all the best in the coming weeks. Just make sure to bring your bank card, lads.

Featured Image Credit: JK Silvertown

Topics: Sunday League, Football