Happy Easter to all our supporters and community, typically this would be a busy weekend of football activity, with potentially critical games at the business end of a long season…Those times will be back, but for now I hope you are getting to spend some quality time with your family and safely taking advantage of the new freedom of being able to meet with others outside.
On Thursday night, we had an excellent meeting with our managers, plotting our return to football and making preparations for the next season. More will follow on this in the coming weeks and months as we look to keep you informed and excited for the new campaign. Pre-season for our squad will commence in the last week of June, including the return of Tosh after his World Cup Qualifiers experience representing the British Virgin Islands, we are all very much looking forward to hearing his tales.
At our Board and management meetings coming up next week, we will have a presentation of a new venture “United in the Community” of which we are very excited about and looking to launch very soon. As part of this plan, we had a great meeting with the Shed in the Park theatre group to see how we can help them now and into the future. I didn’t realise that they have 60 members of all types of persons and abilities. Obviously, they have struggled during the pandemic, but it was wonderful to hear how they support these people and there wanting to increase membership, and, as importantly, sponsorship. Going forward, it is so important that community groups within our town work together, it will benefit us all and make our town a better place for us all to live and work.
Don’t forget that our management meetings now incorporate representatives from all areas of the club, so make sure you tell the Ladies, Youth, Supporters Trust your views which you would like discussed. We have received a great idea from one of our supporters following on from the Supporters’ Trust beer tasting and quiz night which is very actively being followed through. We are always keen to listen to ideas and if any of you have any ideas to help secure the future of our club, our ears and eyes are always open.
Only 10 days to go now until we can all enjoy a drink and a social on the terraces outside of our clubhouse. We have secured a deal to sell genuine Pepsi and Britvic drinks by hand pump at the bar, something that is not always easily done for a club of our size. This well help us use less glass bottles and aluminium cans for recycling, so good for the environment and better for everyone.
You will also be able to taste the new beers and other drinks on offer, including a range of super sweets at our new sweet bar which caters for all; with vegan, halal and low sugar options– we are trying to cover all bases!
The Clubhouse will be open at weekends from noon, starting on Saturday 17th April with table service on the terraces so come on down and have a drink and a chat with us all! When the Euro Championships get under way, we hope by then to be able to allow you into the clubhouse to watch as many live games as you wish. We want to have fans down to watch games on the television, as well as our live matches at The Meadow; but there is also so much more being planned for social events at the club, we hope there will literally be something for everyone over the coming months.
There will be a ‘Managers Football Quiz Night’ with sausage and chips (or a veggie option) to be held in The Chess Suite on a Friday night before the season starts. This will be a fundraiser with teams of up to six to a table and a cost of £10 per head. Muzza and JD are already planning the questions and a fun night will be had by all. The bar will of course be open for you all to enjoy the full hospitality of our clubhouse – Talking of which, if you are interested or wanting to hold an event at the club, get booking now as dates are being filled up quickly!
Other events to look out for are the “Chessfest” and a great evening in prospect with “Stages through the Ages” – a music evening reminiscing about our now disappeared town nightclub, Stages or the Buckingham Club or whatever you remember it as. I’m sure many of you will have a tale or two to tell about your days at the old night club, this will be a great night to relive those days.
Heading into Christmas a pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, is being planned. This panto will be aimed for children, with the usual British humour running right through the middle of it and will feature our local councillor as the wicked witch or ogre (exact role to be confirmed), club members and supporters. This is being written, produced and directed by the highly talented David Roden, free of charge and he brings with him lighting and sound engineers. Tickets will be priced at £5 adults and £3 kids and money raised from the show will be donated to our chosen Charity. Lots more to follow on this but keep the two Sunday afternoons before Christmas free so you can enjoy a Great British Panto!
The Shed in the Park group will be in charge of make-up for the shows, and we will need helpers to build and manage the small stage set that we have. So, the shout out this week is for volunteers in this direction please – If you would like to offer your services for our fantastic festive panto, please do get in touch at chairman@cheshamunited.co.uk.
On the subject of volunteers, we are still looking for a person, or persons, to provide the matchday catering for the players and the boardroom on matchdays next season, if you are interested in the role, and a chance to earn a few extra quid in your pocket, please do get in touch to discuss what is involved.
Last week I mentioned that we had an opportunity to generate income through renting out parking spaces at the club. A big thank you to the supporters who took up the offer to share their views on the matter. We have managed to look at our car parking layout and have managed to find a way of renting out the additional parking spaces without actually sacrificing any spaces on a matchday, which is great news if we manage to get the go ahead.
All of your thoughts will be put to the Directors meeting that we have next week, and decisions will be made from that. We have engaged Graham of Hawkins Eades Associates, a Chesham man and regular supporter seen at the Meadow and a local planning specialist to help us apply for planning permission to be able to rent out this land.
Finally, we have some used (but in excellent condition) and unused football kit that we are looking to sell off and raise some funds for new kit for our home and away games for next season and beyond. We have available:
- 20+ Stanno black shorts with a yellow stripe and 20 plus pairs of yellow socks, including some brand new for the best offer over £40
- The same with 20 plus Mitre White shorts and socks. Again, a lot of new pairs in them both for the same price, offers over £40
- 15+ pairs of brand-new Maroon football socks, best price over £15.
- 4-6 Kit bags at £10 each which hold a full playing lot
- 20+Stanno yellow shorts for best offer over £20 some new
- 20+ pairs of Stanno black shorts with a thin yellow stripe some also new for best offer over £20.
If you are interested in purchasing any of these items for your team or club, or if you have any other feedback following this week’s update, please do not hesitate to get in touch at chairman@cheshamunited.co.uk
Thank you for your support, stay safe and well.
