This weekend we look forward to welcoming supporters back to The Meadow for an FA Trophy clash with Whyteleafe, if Tuesday night’s game at Hayes & Yeading is anything to go by we should be in for a cracking game as the team really started to gel and put in what is generally considered to be the best performance of the season so far.
It was a cold night on Tuesday, with very few facilities to protect supporters from the cold; or indeed sit and have any refreshments with no clubhouse facilities available. An unusual situation, but I can assure you that the bar management at Chesham will once again be prepared to do an excellent job of welcoming visitors to The Chess Suite on Saturday – Please do obey the rules of wearing a mask when moving around the clubhouse and remain seated in tables of no more than six at all times, the bar staff will be around to take your orders from your table.
I appreciate the comments and feedback from supporters received at the match on Tuesday concerned about our move to a new ground and what our facilities might end up being like, I can assure you that we have a very clear vision for how our new stadium will look and feel with the supporters and the community very much at the heart of what we do. We want there to be terracing for you to stand on, we want covered areas to protect fans from the weather and to gather and make some noise for the team, and of course we want excellent clubhouse facilities where supporters can enjoy a drink before and after the game.
With this current pandemic showing no signs of going away, there remains uncertainty about what the short term future holds for this season, all we can do is take things game by game, and in doing that the attitude of the management and players has been exceptional.
The longer term future we can continue to plan for, and we have been doing that this week with many hours of discussions with solicitors with regards to sorting out the heads of agreement for the move to a new ground. Once we have these documents signed and we have had discussions with the council to gauge their view, we will then be in a position to share our plans for the ground and the location. Thank you for your patience on this. I mentioned last week that there was a drone at the club scanning the land for the company purchasing The Meadow, it was fascinating to watch and gave us exact details as to exactly what the drop is of the slope of our pitch from one end to the other – Any guesses? Let me know what you think it is and I will reveal the actual figure on Monday next week.
I mentioned the community remains at the heart of what we do, and I am very proud that the club played its part this week by providing the facilities for packed lunch parcels to be packaged and distributed to help make sure that no children go without a meal this half-term, I myself have been out making deliveries together with the growing number of volunteers that are helping to make our club successful and something we should all be proud to be associated with.
There are many people doing things behind the scenes who all deserve a special thank you, one such example is Ryan Woolnough who looks after our social media presence keeping supporters, and the community at large, abreast of what is going on at the club throughout the week, and during games on a matchday, including looking after the video that records all of our games. We are currently on the look out for a volunteer to carry out interviews with the managers, and possibly players after each game for our social media. If you are interested, or know somebody who might be, please do get in touch.
Finally, many of you will now be aware that our kit man Andy Hart has sadly had to retire from the post due to the pressures of work – On behalf of everyone at the club I would like to pass on our thanks to Andy for the very high standards he has maintained throughout his time at the club. We are actively looking for a replacement, if you know of anyone, or are interested in the position, please contact me directly at chairman@cheshamunited.co.uk.
Thank you for your support, stay safe.
Peter Brown, Chairman
Chesham United Football Club
