National League North side Buxton have announced they will be moving to a full-time model for next season.
The Bucks will join the likes of Scunthorpe United, South Shields and Kidderminster Harriers by converting to a professional club.
In the hope to secure promotion in the next few years, Buxton have ditched their part time routines and aim to go all out in every aspect.
This move will lead to players training more regularly, better player development and more chances for club sponsorship.
Chairman David Hopkins looks to improve the club, but there will be financial strains to achieve his goals.
Money will need to be spent on facilities and salaries to align with the professional model and some Buxton fans have concerns around the change.
So with this being the case, Semi-Pro took on the other clubs in the National League North who adopted the ‘professional’ tag.
Scunthorpe United
The Iron turned into a professional club back in 1912 after joining the Midland League.
Scunthorpe went on to enjoy a 72 year spell in the Football League from 1950-2022.
Their professional model boosted them into a popular club and allowed them to create a loyal fan base which still follows the team to this day.
South Shields
The 2021/22 season saw The Mariners become fully professional, the first time a football club in their own town would have that status since the 1920’s.
Interestingly, it was Buxton themselves who would go on to pip Shields to the Northern Premier League title that season.
However, good times were just around the corner with the Mariners clinching the title the following year.
The club now sit in the National League North and finished in 8th.
Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster established themselves as a professional club in 1890.
Initially, Kiddy found it hard to deal with life after this change and they had many setbacks due to financial difficulties.
Despite this, Kidderminster climbed the leagues and finally reached the Football League at the turn of the 21st century.
Since then, the club have unfortunately fallen back into the National League North and have struggled to find a reliable managerial set-up.