It has been said many times that in the current crisis, there are more important things to worry about than football. That is of course true, but my fellow Directors and I know that unless we take steps over the coming months to look after our ground and clubhouse, we won’t be ready to get up and at it when the next season eventually starts. We are very lucky to have our dedicated groundsman Richard coming in to cut the grass and generally keep an eye on the pitch, but there are other areas of the ground that need to be kept under control, and General Manager, John Rattle and I are working out a programme that we can invite all our supporters and volunteers to help out with, once we’re satisfied that we can manage this within the social distancing rules.
“One particular possibility is raising money through the 400 Club. For those of you who aren’t already members, why not join up now?!”
The physical side is of course only part of the issue, as we need to buy in seed, fertiliser and other materials, so I am anxious to find as many ways as possible to bring in some revenue. One particular possibility is raising money through the 400 Club. For those of you who aren’t already members, why not join up now?! It’s a fiver a month with a chance to pick up a money prize every month. For those of you already in it, why not try to co-opt your friends and relatives to join in. Either way, follow the link below. If we can get another 50-100 members, it would go a long way to making sure we can weather this crisis.
The decision to void the 2019/20 season was the only viable option if we want to get back to ‘normal’ football when the lockdown ceases. As I was part of the Isthmian League Board that made that decision, I was disappointed to see that some clubs want to spend time and no doubt money, challenging the decision. Not surprisingly, most objectors were clubs who thought they had a good chance of securing promotion. With nearly a quarter of the season to play, they seem to be willfully ignoring what we all know – football can and does produce surprising outcomes near the end of the season. Unsurprisingly, none of the clubs in a relegation position wanted to join the challenge!
There are some plus points too – I’m glad that we no longer have the 7-0 home defeat to Ashford in League records! Nevertheless, the matches played during the season will count as ‘appearances’ for our players, and I don’t know of any strikers who would let us disallow their goals when we write the Club records!
Rest assured that notwithstanding our lockdown, we are doing what we can to keep the club going with a view to coming back all the stronger when this is over – and it will be over one day, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
Kevin Newell
