The FA Cup dream continues! Last weekend we did the job away at Cray Valley in the Second Qualifying Round, it was not a vintage performance, but it got the job done and a 2-0 win saw our name in the hat for Monday’s Third Qualifying Round draw.
The outcome of the draw is an away tie at Bishops Cleeve, a side that play two divisions below us, but should not be taken likely as they knocked out Torquay United, winning 3-0, in the previous round and will be relishing the chance to claim another National League South scalp. Please note, this cup tie which takes place on Saturday 28th September is ALL TICKET – you will not be able to turn up on the day and watch without a ticket. Bishops Cleeve play in an idyllic setting on a hill up above Cheltenham Racecourse, but it has a limited capacity, about 1500, so tickets must be purchased in advance from here. You will see this message all over our social media in the coming week. Your support will, as always, be hugely appreciated as we strive to match last season’s FA Cup excitement.
Bishops Cleeve may sound a long drive, but likely to be a more pleasant and quicker one than our recent exploits travelling around the M25 and the Dartford Crossing, twice in the last three weeks with trips to Welling and Cray Valley – that road does seem to get chaotic on a Saturday afternoon and a reminder as to why all those years ago we were happy to move to more travelling miles in the Southern League compared to less miles, but more M25 in the Isthmian League. With that in mind, thank you to our magnificent away support that made your voices heard at Cray Valley on Saturday, you were fantastic.
So where are we playing tomorrow? We are away to Maidstone United – a trip around the M25 which depending on traffic at the time could be over the Dartford Crossing or around the bottom of the motorway. Either way, why worry about having to make the decision when you can let the coach take the strain, with two options for catching a lift to the game. We have space on the club’s players coach that leaves The Meadow at 10.30am and costs £20, please email secretary@cheshamunited.co.uk. Obviously this coach will not leave straight after the game as we wait for the players to get changed and have their post-match meal, giving you more time to enjoy in the Maidstone clubhouse. The Supporters Trust coach leaves The Meadow at 11.00am, returning straight after the game, and costs £10 for Trust Members/Under 18s and £15 for non-members, and can be booked now with full details on their website at www.custrust.co.uk.
It feels like I am saying this every week, but tomorrow’s game really will be another tough one, your support can make all the difference. With us being drawn away in the FA Cup again, it means our next home game is not until 5th October, a month since the last one, when we welcome Bath City to The Meadow – guess what? That is going to be another very tough game!
Elsewhere over the weekend our women’s team also registered an impressive win at The Meadow on Sunday. WSL and Championship Academy teams are eligible to play in the FAWNL Plate competition this year and so Tottenham Hotspur Academy were our opponents. With goals for Gemma Fraser (2) and Kiyana Fryer Chesham recorded a terrific 3-2 home win and we meet AFC Wimbledon in the next round. Next up Chesham welcome Norwich City Women FC to The Meadow at 2pm this Sunday.
Last night (Thursday) our youth Under 18’s won 3-1 against Harpenden in the Southern Counties Floodlit Youth League – Pegasus Division, with several of the players registered with the club playing, including Shea Greene who scored twice, as we look to create a pathway that will allow the youngsters of Chesham to make their way through and get the best possible opportunity to play at the highest level.
Around the ground we continue to carry out regular maintenance to improve the matchday experience, with our Monday work parties proving successful and beneficial to all. This week they have repainted the posts and attached new wire to the players entrance to the pitch area, plus new yellow lines to stop people blocking the entrances and causing congestion at the exits from the clubhouse. Please be advised that we are also going to introduce a No Smoking area from the end of the ground turnstiles near the clubhouse and office, stretching along the terraces in front of the clubhouse as far as the main stand, this includes the disabled shelter. Many sporting venues are going all no smoking, we are not planning to do that, but it is important that we allow supporters to enjoy the game away from smoke if they choose, particularly in this area where many older supporters stand and it seems crazy, when you think about it, to allow smoking around people that are using our specially allocated wheelchair area. I know this is a popular area to watch the match from, and convenient for the bar, but hope you understand why we are looking to make these changes.
As a club we are always looking to strengthen, both on and off the pitch, and this week I am hoping to finalise the appointment of a new Community Director to the Board of Chesham United. There is no doubt that we have improved our interaction with the community over the past couple of years, but there is still so much more that we can do and it feels right that we have somebody at Board level to manage and direct this side of things, building on the One Club foundations that we have put in place. I am excited by this development and hope to bring good news on a new appointment soon.
Those of you looking for a report of last Saturday’s FA Cup game in Bucks Free Press last week will have been confused to read a copy of these notes instead of a report! We did receive a confusing email from the paper on Saturday evening that did not seem to make sense, but once we saw the paper it all became apparent! We have been assured that a report of the FA Cup game will appear in this week’s paper.
Thank you for your support, I hope to see many of you at Maidstone tomorrow afternoon.
Peter Brown
