As we head towards the Christmas season we have a very busy December ahead of us with six league games scheduled, starting tomorrow with a tough trip to Totton – the Southampton based club were only promoted into our league at the end of last season, but with excellent home crowds behind them they very much have their eyes on a second successive promotion, currently sitting fifth in the league with games in hand over those above them (including us).
We go into this game on an excellent run of form following last weekend’s 2-0 win over Basingstoke Town, that result very much keeps us in touch with the two sides above us, Gosport Borough and Salisbury. I know many supporters are planning to make the trip tomorrow, your support will be appreciated and I wish you all a safe journey.
We have some exciting new products becoming available from our online shop. New hoodies at £39.95 are now available in two colours, Oxford Blue and Light Grey (perfect Christmas presents) with black and claret being added to the range in the new year. These quality hoodies will feature the club badge as well as our main shirt sponsor, the logo being displayed in the format of the famous Taskmaster envelope. These items are only available from our online shop where the profits go towards funding the club and all of our activities across the various sections, and will not currently be available from the Supporters’ Trust shop which is open on a matchday. We have more fantastic stock on the way, including bucket hats, bobble hats and scarves.
Talking of the Supporters’ Trust, their AGM takes place on Monday in The Chess Suite, 7.30pm. This is open to members only, but you can join on the night at a cost of just £10. Please do consider going along, getting behind the supporters organisation and help to grow the Trust into an effective voice and a key part of the One Chesham vision.
Also, keep an eye out on social media next week, at 6pm on Wednesday we will be revealing our new third kit, with replica shirts available to order from the online shop. Another date for your diary is April 1st 2024 when we will be announcing our new kit for the 2024/25 season. No it won’t be an April Fools, we have already had the kit designed and it will be available to order as well as being on sale at our next Charity Comedy Football Trophy that will take place on 11th May 2024 – we will of course put out plenty of reminders between now and then!
The demand for replica shirts this season has been amazing, in particular the recent special offer we ran that included a personalised signed message from Alex Horne and Greg Davies. Please bear with us on the sending out of orders, over 95% of the shirts on order will be sent out by this weekend with the remainder going out within the next ten days. The replica shirt shop within the clubhouse will continue to carry stock and be open at home games, so it is not too late to pop along and pick up that extra Christmas present.
Now we are in December we have put our Christmas tree up in The Chess Suite! Once again, a very big thank you to Bill’s Diner and his Christmas tree shop along the Vale. If you are shopping for your Christmas tree this weekend I highly recommend you pay them a visit. Bill’s Diner will be back at The Meadow for our game against Tiverton Town next Tuesday, so not only do you get to watch football in midweek, you get to go out for a decent dinner as well!
I am delighted that our facilities have once again been used for television filming, with a health and safety film about electrical mismanagement on a demolition site been shot this week, I understand this will be out on our screens in Spring 2024.
Another date for your diary, and one that will be in very high demand: on 1st March 2024 a special music night has been arranged with The Alex Horne Experience. Yes, our very own Alex’s own Jazz Band will be taking to the stage in The Chess Suite with a very limited number of tickets available – watch this space.
Finally I would like to give a very special welcome to our latest director of Chesham United Association Football Club, Michele Brookes is joining the Board and will be an excellent addition. Over the past couple of years Michele has done a superb job of promoting the club within the business community and selling our sponsorship opportunities and I am very excited about what she can bring to the club as a Director. You may recall a couple of years ago I was making desperate pleas for new directors to join the Board, today I believe we now have one of the strongest Boards we have had for many years which bodes well for our ambitions for this club. Welcome onboard Michele.
Thank you as always for your wonderful support. I hope to see many of you at Totton tomorrow, or at our home game against Tiverton next Tuesday.
Peter Brown, Chairman
