I hope everyone is keeping well and have enjoyed the start of the season, I have been at the club for nearly 3 months now and it has been quite a whirlwind.
I’ll start with on the pitch, it has been an excellent start to the season, I have mentioned it before but congratulations to Robbie and his management team for putting together such a competitive squad, the results have been excellent which is reflected in our current league position and excellent performance last week in the FA Cup.
There is a real togetherness in the squad too, which is great for me to see personally. A big factor for the success of the club going forward will be that collective and I will be working hard to bring all the elements together, working with the management team we have tried to add the 1%’s that will help the group. They may seem small but eating together after training, pitch improvements, higher quality coaches for away travel and generally looking after the players go a long way.
While on this subject some thank you’s from me that help in this area, Jackie Kirrage, day to day she is excellent and match days run so smoothly due to her preparation & Nicky the Chef, she works tirelessly to not only support match days but also training etc, she even rewards the boys with a dessert on a Thursday if they win….no better motivation…..
Talking about the pitch, Adam continues to carry out essential works to prepare the pitch for winter, we now have a break due to away league games and our away draw in the FA Cup which will mean the pitch will get vertidrained, fed, seeded, weed killer applied and the goalmouths will get germination mats to help with their growth, we just need to find a way of keeping foxes off it…..thanks to Adam for his hard work.
Our Ladies started their league campaign last weekend, I have been really impressed with the set up and look forward to becoming more engaged with the Women’s and Girls’ teams, we plan to celebrate their success in the clubhouse, and you will soon see some pictures etc appear.
Our Youth teams have either started or are about to start, their seasons. I would like to wish each team all the best for a successful, but more importantly, enjoyable season, with a special thanks going to all the volunteer coaches, managers, referees etc. I have been there and know what a difficult job it is, we have approx. 300 youth members that wouldn’t get a game on a Sunday without you.
We have some plans to improve supporters’ Matchday experiences, Oct 22nd we have a “Boys of the 60’’s” day planned, several players from this era will be our guests for the day, introduced to the crowd on the pitch before the game and then host a Q&A in the bar after the game for an hour or so, we even have an ex-player flying over from Norway to attend….further details will be available shortly, there will also be some entertainment coming soon so watch this space.
Lastly, an update from a commercial perspective, we continue to engage with new local individuals and companies who are supporting the club, and player sponsorship is also nearly sold out. Matchday attendances are up, and hospitality bookings are excellent. Function bookings are increasing, and we continue to look at ways we can expand these.
Don’t forget the Q&A with myself & Adam Drew on October 4th, we are both looking forward to it and hope you are too.
Safe trip to all those travelling to Taunton Saturday.
by