Tomorrow we are excited to be back in league action at The Meadow after a couple of weeks break due to the weather and no scheduled midweek matches. The good news is that over that period of time other results have gone well for us and we go into tomorrow’s game against Walton & Hersham still sitting on top of the league.
Walton & Hersham come to us looking to reignite their own promotion challenge and no doubt looking to get one over us after we knocked them out of the FA Cup at their place earlier in the season. We also played out a 2-2 draw away earlier in the season which was a good result on paper, but having been 2-0 up going into the final minute it did feel more like a defeat on the journey home. It promises to be a cracking game at The Meadow tomorrow, 3.00pm kick-off, tickets available at the gate, please do come along and give the team your support. As always, the clubhouse will be open before and after the game and hot food is available from Billy Burger and we have our Tea Bar selling a selection of homemade treats. What could be better on a Saturday afternoon?
Tomorrow we also extend a special welcome to our two primary school finalists of our half-time penalty shoot-out competition – good luck to the children from Chesham Bois and Chartridge School – we look forward to welcoming you to the club and hope that you enjoy the day. A new cup will be presented to the winning team. The presentation will be made by Pat Thackray, the widow of Brian who played for Chesham United at Wembley in the Amateur Cup Final in 1968.
Also tomorrow (a busy day!) we will unveiling of our new flag before the game. Attached to the flagpole will be a plaque in memory of Walter Wilkins, ex-Chesham Generals player and a committee member of Chesham United in the 1930s, whose picture you can see in the clubhouse entrance. The club chaplain, Edward Bowles-Smith, will be leading a service to the flag at 2.30pm. Thank you once again to everyone who has offered their support to this mini project, including AP Green Builders who have completed the groundworks and installed the flagpole.
Thee is a double helping of football this weekend with our Ladies team returning to league action with a home game against Haywards Heath Town on Sunday, kick-off 2.00pm. If you have never attended one of our Ladies’ matches before, I highly recommend popping along. The clubhouse will be open and I know you will be impressed by the quality of the football.
Elsewhere, we have now sold over 1200 replica shirts and hoodies, including one of our most recent orders coming in from Switzerland! We do now have in stock claret hoodies and these will be available to browse in the club shop inside the clubhouse prior to the game tomorrow. If you visit between 2.45 and 3.15pm tomorrow, Alex Horne will be there modelling some of the merchandise and available for photo opportunities in your new kit – do pop along and say hello.
Talking of Alex Horne, tickets go on sale TODAY at 5.00pm for the exclusive first gig of the Horne Section 2024 tour LIVE at The Chess Suite on Friday 1st March 2024, 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Initially, tickets will go on sale to our Season Ticket Holders, our Youth & Ladies age group coaches and club volunteers first, then depending on demand there will then hopefully be a general sale the following week (subject to availability – more info to follow). For more information, please visit the website here. This fantastic event is the first 2024 gig of The Horne Section before they start their UK tour and we are very privileged to have them here in Chesham.
I am also delighted to say that the football club is going to be used by the NHS as a site for blood donations three times a year, with a 16 week break between each visit. The first of these will be on Monday 12th August. Another step forward in our quest to make Chesham United about much more than just a football team, we are, and want to be seen as, an asset to our community.
Finally, prior to tomorrow’s match we will be holding a minute’s silence in memory of Southern Football League Chairman, Anthony Hughes, who sadly passed away this week. He was a passionate and dedicated football man who first became a League Director in June 2003 and became Southern League Chairman in June 2022. In his role here at the Southern League, it was all about the clubs and putting them first, the game will be a much poorer place without him. We join all our fellow Southern League club in passing on our condolences to Debbie, Victoria and Shaun, and all of Anthony’s family and friends at this most difficult time.
Thank you for your support. Our groundsman Craig has been doing a fantastic job looking after our pitch and the weather is looking good, let’s have a bumper crowd at the game tomorrow as we battle to maintain our place at the top of the table.
.Peter Brown, Chairman
