These will be my last notes before Christmas so let me start by wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, I hope you get to spend some quality time with your loved ones…and I’m sure by Boxing Day you will be after a bit of a break with a trip to The Meadow to watch our game against Hayes & Yeading the perfect release. Kick-off is at 12.30pm, I look forward to seeing many of you then.
You are more than likely viewing this on our brand new club website which we soft-launched today, this has been under development for the last few months, this new website will allow us to show off our wonderful corporate sponsors more prominently than before. As with any new technology and despite all the checking we have done, we are expecting there to be some teething problems, if you encounter any or have something you think is missing then please let us know by emailing Ryan Woolnough at ryanw@cheshamunited.co.uk
By Boxing Day, it will have been a full month since we last played a home game at Chesham, that was a most memorable 3-1 win over Truro City, a result that really gave us the confidence and belief that we are good enough to be challenging for the title at the end of the season. Since then, we have had two very impressive away wins at Dorchester and Yate, scoring three goals in each game, which leaves us in a very strong position going into the new year.
Your support is going to make all the difference in the second half of the season, we have laid down the platform for something that could be very exciting, and we want you to be a part of that journey. Please do continue to bring your friends and family along to games, tell people about the club when you are socialising in other network groups – word of mouth is our best way to increase crowds, and increasing crowds is our best chance to take the club forward into a potential promotion battle later in the season.
To help improve our chances we have made the decision to strengthen the squad with the signing of Omar Rowe, a midfielder formerly with Hayes & Yeading where he had a huge impact before this season playing in the National South with Farnborough Town. We are very excited about the signing of Omar, he is a player of vast experience at this level, essential as we go into the second half of the campaign. The addition to the squad demonstrates our intention to be up there at the end of the season and we are backing our management to continue the excellent work they have done so far. I hope our supporters are equally excited, an early Christmas present as we prepare for the Boxing Day clash when hopefully we will have a good crowd to cheer the team on.
As I hope you are aware by now, in particular with our relationship with Bucks Mind, I am determined that we use our privileged high profile at Chesham United to do good in the community and wider world beyond just on the football pitch on a Saturday afternoon. Through our many supporters and other sections of the club we have an audience of many hundreds and whereas I appreciate I will never get everyone along to watch First XI games, I do hope that we can use our position to communicate other messages that I hope you will at upon or encourage others too.
I was moved recently when I learned about the many children in this country and around the world, who are seriously ill with Cancers of the Blood, who desperately need a stem cell or Bone Marrow transplant to save their life from certain death. There are two main bone marrow registers in this country, and they are pleading for more young men under 30 to join these registers. The reason for that is this if a stem cell or bone marrow transplant happens it tends to be successful if a young man provides the items concerned.
It is a big ask, but we have many young men associated to the club and I would ask you to give serious consideration to registering with the Anthony Nolan website. It is very easy to register, just go to www.anthonynolan.org and visit ‘join the register’ and you will be sent a medical form with instructions. Visit the website, it is a heart-wrenching story, and let’s see if we can make a difference to the lives of young children around the world.
With regards to our ongoing relationship with Bucks Mind, we are big supporters of the Bucks Safe Haven project which, in partnership with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, provides an alternative to A&E for people experiencing mental health crisis. For more information, please visit Safe Haven – Bucks Mind.
I am also delighted with the response to our planned Race Night on 4th February next year. It is really pleasing to see sections of the club – ladies, youth and board – all working together to organise the event under the ‘One Club’ banner. As previously mentioned, profits from the event will be shared between the three sections, with the main club’s share going towards our Players Injury & Rehabilitation Benevolent Fund. In truth, by the time you read this it is likely that the event will be sold out, a true credit to everyone involved….and of course I guess the small matter that we are fortunate to have our very own Alex Horne as MC for the night!
As Chairman of the club I am delighted to have been invited to attend a lunch at Wycombe Wanderers’ Adams Park for John Reardon’s memorial event to be held on Monday 30th January. John was a former Chesham United manager, and the lunch will involve the opening of the John Reardon Room as part of the education centre at Adams Park for the benefit of young people via the club’s charity arm. Another example of how football clubs can do so much in the community.
Finally, we may need a couple of people on standby to possibly help our groundsman Craig, with some maintenance of the pitch prior to and maybe at half time as well. This is in the event, we get heavier than expected rain over the next few days and is just as a precaution. If you are able to help then please let the club know at secretary@cheshamunited.co.uk
Thank you for all your support this year, I look forward to seeing many of you on Boxing Day – don’t forget it is an early kick-off!
Peter Brown, Chairman
