My old friend, Time, seems to have deserted me again as all good intentions of posting on the blog go out of the window, but now seems an apt moment to share further thoughts as we move into the second-half of the season (Heather is out tonight and I have just put the boys to bed after a bit of a "boys night in" scoffing pizza and watching Slipknot live at Download from 2009).
The weather dealt us another blow this week as the fog came down causing the league match with Halesowen to be abandoned after just ten minutes. After reports from Craig in the morning about the pitch being solid in some areas I spent all day worrying about the game being called off for a frozen pitch, I never once considered the fog.
The reason for being so concerned was the fact that this was our annual Business Partners Evening when we inviited local businesses along to enjoy the hospitality, receive a presentation about the club, learn about our sponsorship opportunities and then enjoy...about 8 minutes of spot the ball in the fog! Fortunately we did get to host the main part of the Business Partners Evening and meet with some of the fantastic local businesses that are being so supportive. This year it was Giles Stevenson that did the presenting, enabling me to take a backseat, and you know what, it was really quite rewarding to listen to Giles presenting our recent achievements - for those companies that had attended previous such evenings, it was like proof that we had meant every word we had said previously - we are now active within the community and we have even achieved Community Charter status.
There is no doubt that our change of thinking is encouraging businesses to support us; more companies were in attendance than ever before and we even signed up seven 2011/12 Corporate Patron Scheme members and sold two perimeter boards on the night. Fantastic news - but something we need to be doing on a more regular basis. All of us involved in the club have become much more focused on money in recent weeks, which is good, and I think we are all growing in confidence when we talk to local companies, community groups and prospective sponsors. If you have confidence in what you are selling it is a damn sight easier to sell, and I think that we are all benefitting from selling what is more of a community project than just a football club.
Of course to most of us that turn up on a Saturday and Tuesday it is all about the football on the field, and the results from that have been pretty good this year. Still undefeated, and only having conceded two goals, one of them a penalty at Tiverton. Last Saturday was perhaps the most satisfying day as we completed the double over league leaders Truro City. That evening we held a Race Night and helped to raise £300 for Danny Gudgeon as he raises money for Cancer Research with a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro; it's a shame we couldn't get more people along to the event, but another enjoyable evening nonetheless (helped by having been on the beer all day after the Truro win!).
Behind the scenes it can still be like a soap opera sometimes, plenty of moaning and groaning, but ultimately we seem to be getting the job done. I still believe I have an excellent relationship with Andy Leese, we seem to have a good understanding of the way each other operates (he may say differently mind!), what our ultimate goals are and how we wish to achieve them. I've said it before and I will say it again, he is proably the best manager I have come across at this level, the attention to detail is second to none and, on the whole, we have very few debates about the budget (though I need to go back and consult the agreement made in the summer about play-off and promotion bonuses, if I'm honest, I really didn't think they would become relevant!).
We had a boost to the Budget Booster recently (we changed the name from last year's Push 4 Promotion thinking the name might not be relevant this year) which has enabled us to bring in striker Paul Robinson to try and boost the conversion rate of the chances created. Our defensive record is the best in the league and has helped us achieve our elevated status (currently fourth in the league), but now we have achieved this, it's amazing the criticism we still get for not getting a prolific goalscorer in! Of course we want to do that, Andy is always on the look out and making enquiries, but we must accept that there are budget limitations and if we had that top striker on Danny Burnell type wages then the chances are we would not have the solid defence and creative midfield...it's a balancing act. And I guess it is the nature of the game that we are quick to criticse and slow to praise. I have had more people say to me that "we would be top if we had a prolific striker" than I have say "wow, isn't it brilliant being fourth".
That's not to say it isn't enjoyable. Last Saturday we enjoyed some good banter in the boardroom with the Truro City Chairman and board, they were complimentary of our defensive record, in particular Shane Gore's ability in goal, and they also relished the prospect of playing us midweek in a play-off semi-final down in Cornwall - bit harsh I felt thought in wishing for traffic on the A30, all the speed cameras out and a generally miserable journey down for us! I think they believe sod's law will play it's part and they would probably beat us having lost to us twice in the league (a bit like Burnham last year). The thought of going to Truro for a midweek play-off semi-final brings thoughts of a logistical and expensive nightmare - but we'd make it work somehow, and I'd bite your hand-off now if it was offered!
On Saturday we travel to Brackley for what will be a really tough game. They had a surprisingly slow start to the seaon, but are now moving up and my money would be on them claiming a play-off spot at the end of the season. When Heather and I attended the League AGM in Torquay back in June we were very appreciative of the way we were made to feel welcome in joining the Brackley crew at the Saturday night dinner and then forming a joint quiz team later that night. It will be good to meet up with them all again on Saturday.
Safe to say I am still enjoying the role, but would enjoy it even more if we could somehow magic up another £12-15,000 to make life a little more comfortable. We're all working hard at it, and have no intention of going the way of Windsor & Eton (a club that played such a starring role in some of my early editions of Chesham United Travels) who yesterday ceased to exist. They will no doubt be back playing a couple of leagues below us next season, and debt free, whilst we continue to pay off out past debts on a monthly basis, for another two or three years yet. There's part of you that thinks in this modern world that we would have been better off folding a few years ago and starting from scratch with no debt. Sounds easy doesn't it? But then, would I have felt the same sense of pride, surrounded by local companies, as I did at the Business Partners Evening on Tuesday? Quite simply, no.
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