Are you starting to miss your Saturday afternoon football yet? I know I am, although there has been plenty going on around the club to keep me busy, it is not the same as meeting supporters on the terraces. However, don’t forget we do have our Awards Evening tonight in The Chess Suite, everyone is welcome to join us in celebrating the season that has just passed, doors open at 6pm. I hope to see you there.
Elsewhere our management duo are working hard to strengthen the squad for next season with a number of key targets getting closer to crossing the line. We must all be under no illusions about the level of football we will be playing at next season and some of the money that is being banded around. There will be teams in our league that operate with a full-time squad who will have obvious advantages, but we know that that does not guarantee success. However, it does make it a challenging market to compete in, even retaining existing squad members can be a challenge when there is the carrot of full-time contracts dangled before them.
All that said, we are having very exciting conversations, and I am very optimistic about how competitive we will be next season. The FA have now confirmed the league allocations, so we know for sure that we will be in National League South next season. I don’t think there was ever any doubt, but it is nice to see it in writing. Although there will be a fair bit of travelling, it is nothing compared to what Oxford City, not a million miles from Chesham, will face as they once again find themselves in the North half of the league facing several trips north of Newcastle. We are very happy with our league allocation.
Season tickets for 2024/25 are now on sale with an Early Bird offer available until Sunday 16th June. As we step up to compete at a higher level in the National League South, our costs have increased. In order to ensure we can continue providing you with the best matchday experience and to keep our club finances sustainable, we have had to make the difficult but necessary decision to adjust our matchday admission prices. However, I believe we are still very competitive for this league and continue to work on enhancing the matchday experience for supporters, so hopefully you will be looking to book your tickets ahead of the Early Bird deadline and prepare for our first ever season in National League South. We have already had several new season ticket applications which is great to see, welcome onboard!
We have this season for the first time introduced the option to have your season ticket as a digital pass which you carry on your phone – choose the Apple Passbook (for iPhone users) or Google Wallet (for Android users) to take advantage of this – Note. to receive a digital pass, you must order your season ticket from the phone that you intend to use the pass on. For full information on season tickets and matchday prices, click here.
As we continue to make improvements, our requirement list for volunteers grows I’m afraid, so I make no apologies for using these notes for helper pleas throughout the close season. For our all-important matchday guests and sponsors we are enhancing the boardroom experience with a pre-match meal. We have the cooking covered, but we are looking for a boardroom host/hostess to help with serving the food in the kitchen and serving to our guests in the boardroom. This will require you to be available between 1.00pm and 2.30pm. If you are interested, please contact me at chairman@cheshamunited.co.uk.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with odd jobs around the ground on a Monday morning. Ideal for anyone retired or available on Monday’s. Our Facilities Manager Ray Trafford is looking for helpers to join him between 9.30am and midday, with sandwiches, biscuits and refreshments all supplied, plus twice a season you will be invited for a pre-match meal in the boardroom (served by our new volunteer from above!) and a chance to watch the game in the main stand alongside directors, sponsors and officials. Again, contact me for more information and to get involved.
Meanwhile, the women’s first team are getting ready for the first of two trials sessions next week. As we look to strengthen the squad over the summer the team have been working hard to bring new players to Chiltern Hills Academy next Tuesday evening and then at St Clement Danes on 6th June. Both sessions start at 7pm so if you know any players looking for a fresh challenge do send them our way!
Thanks for your support.
Peter Brown, Chairman
