Tomorrow night we welcome Solihull Moors to the Mangata Developments Stadium. May I wish their Directors, Manager, players and supporters an enjoyable stay with us and a safe journey home.
Well, as we come to the end of another rollercoaster year, it’s arguably been one of the most successful in our long history. A year where we’ve won an unlikely promotion through the play offs after everyone wrote us off and now put ourselves into the 3rd Round of the FA Cup by beating two EFL clubs and reached the quarter final of the National League Cup.
On top of the above, we’ve secured a record points tally for us of 50 points in 23 games and we now sit second in the league at the halfway point of the season, while quietly putting together an improved infrastructure, team and squad to be proud of.
In the last 12 months we’ve also upgraded our floodlights, built a new away bar with toilets and a seated area. We’ve also finally completed the new entrance road, home car park and barrier system, while creating a new control room complete with ground monitoring CCTV.
On top of the above we’ve lost the dug outs and created a new management technical area, improved the media areas, built a new fence line along the whole East side. We’ve also invested in a new Executive Office, while updating, improving and maintaining things across the whole site.
For those who went to Wealdstone on Boxing Day and looked at how they do things, I think you’ll agree our facility upgrades is money well spent, though I accept raising facility standards at our level does cost a lot of money and other clubs’ business models often mean they put most of their money on the pitch. It’s always a difficult balancing act when you’re in my position, as I’m always looking to improve our facilities and infrastructure, whilst balancing staffing levels, academy and improving the first team budget and squad. It feels to me over the last few seasons that between my Finance Director Ciara Dyer, Sporting Director Charlie Hunter and Manager Luke Garrard, we are just about striking a balance and even though we do now have a few big injuries, it’s going to be down to all of us to cope and still find ways to keep our momentum going without damaging the club financially in the short term.
Trust me though, if we do need to strengthen in key areas, and I think we might, then I’ll remain open minded if the right situations present themselves. Why? Because in our current situation, I’d be a complete fool not to give you, Luke and the dressing room the chance to dream the impossible dream. That said, everything must be looked at on its merit, but it’s fair to say that at this point our manager, younger players, experienced players and our dressing room have been incredible to date.
It’s also fair to say that the permanent signings of both Zak Brunt and Marley Marshall-Miranda during the season, has shown our intent to hang around at the top end of the league, possibly bloody a few noses along the way and if we can, we want to give ourselves a realistic chance to progress and have success on the pitch, while I plan heavily for our future off it.
With my experience I say to each and every one of you please enjoy what you are witnessing as the football played has been exceptional. I temper that by saying in football you are only ever one bad week away from the wheels coming off and tonight is a horrible reminder of that, as we meet a very dangerous Solihull Moors team and it’s a fixture that will give us a major obstacle to overcome this evening.
Why? Because Solihull have replaced their old manager with new manager Chris Millington who is a very well-regarded Gaffer. Chris knows this level well, he’s recently brought in some great players, he’s now got a few back from injury and Solihull are now flying up the table and close to the top of the form guide.
For me if I was a betting man I’d fancy Solihull Moors to go very close to taking the last play-off place this season and though I feel the top six might be beyond them after their slow start, I do feel under Chris Millington that they have already got themselves within touching distance of Southend United who sit in seventh. So for me if they maintain their form, keep their players fit and continue their momentum I can see them nicking that last play-off place.
In terms of our injuries, we have both Tom White and Erico Sousa out for a good while. Tom has now successfully undergone his hamstring operation pre-Christmas and we are hopefully now on a 10-week rehabilitation countdown for his return.
Erico, after a quite ridiculous challenge at Wealdstone, will undergo a scan tomorrow (Wednesday) once the swelling has gone down on his knee, but at this point we must plan for the worst and hope for the best.
On a more positive note, it’s good to report that Luke Norris is now back fully fit after he tweaked his groin in the Carlisle United warm up, and with Marley Miranda-Marshall now signed on a permanent basis, they are both good to go. That means we should be strong this evening and no doubt Lewis Richardson, with eight goals already in both league and cup, and Charles Clayden, will see Erico’s injury as an opportunity for them to shine and get more game time.
I can also report that our little midfield dynamo Jon Benton has been released from his contract by mutual consent. Jon is a bright lad who knows his mind and he has chosen to go into the City full time in accountancy and go part time as a footballer. Jon did great for me, you and for this football club, he played a huge part in last season’s play-off promotion win and I’m very thankful to him and glad we can forever share those promotion memories. So for me to help Jon deal with the next stage of his personal journey was not difficult, based on his honesty and circumstances. So can I say on behalf of the football club, staff, dressing room and supporters “good luck Jon and thank you once again for being such a huge part of our promotion season”.
There is such a lot going on in regard to the South End of the ground, including finalising the funding applications, laying out the supporting evidence and all things in between, that at times it makes your head hurt. That said, I do have to deliver a scheme to our partners at HBC, EBTC, AFC and residents that works for all stakeholders…
As you know, there has already been a series of delays for one reason or another, there has also been some serious project price increases based on me perhaps wanting all the sweets in the sweet shop haha, but luckily, I’ve come to my senses……….because my out-of-control South Stand wish list has meant other than watching the Carlisle United and Wealdstone games, I’ve spent most of Christmas re-working the budgets.
Even as I write these notes, I’m still a fair few quid over where I want to be, but I’m prepared to underwrite the current figures personally to get my Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) bids into the Council while completing my Football Foundation and Elstree and Boreham Wood Town Council bids. If I can complete these things in January, it will give me an outside chance of keeping the project on schedule.
With timeline pressures mounting off the pitch, I do hope Luke and the dressing room can continue our home form and get us another positive result this evening, but these things are never easy. A win would obviously keep our momentum going and keep people’s expectations growing, which in truth I do not want to dampen.
For me, the football being played is so exciting to watch and makes me very happy, especially as the South End project is full of red tape, lots of box ticking and a lot of one step forward two steps back at this stage. All of that means I should anticipate a lot more behind closed door meeting with my architect, QS, contractors, business partners, long term sponsors and all local stakeholders. All of which means we must complete a variety of funding applications by January 5th as the clock really is ticking and time is running out.
Trust me this project will genuinely be groundbreaking, for me it’s a “legacy build” and of course that takes time, as it challenges everyone and must be done correctly. If we do it well it will change the local landscape, and transform this Football Club, transform Meadow Park and will I believe treble the third party spend in and around the club and the local area.
Tomorrow night though is all about staying in touch with the leading teams in our division who do not appear to be showing a weakness. That said we must deal with ourselves and deal with a very good Solihull Moors team and try and continue our very positive festive period league form. That form has seen us beat a very good Carlisle United team here 2-0 nine days ago and then saw us quietly deal with local rivals Wealdstone at their place 4-0 on Boxing Day.
I really must now thank all our home fans for your fantastic support in both of those festive games, as we got our best home crowd of the season against Carlisle United and that win, I believe then resulted in our biggest away following of the season turning up at Wealdstone.
I hope that both of those performances might convince more of you to turn out this evening and in the future, because if you do, this squad will strive to give you great performances to show our gratitude as we strive to dream the impossible dream.
Finally, can I wish everyone of all ages and both our old and new fans a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year. For many of you, I know as we enter a New Year, that you may be without a loved one for the very first time as they’ve passed and I know that is such a difficult and emotional pill to swallow.
Please trust me when I say the tears will come but you are not alone on New Years Eve or on any other night for that matter. Always know there are many of us out there who understand how you are feeling and know how long the nights seem to last. Trust me the pain does ease and those great memories will return but it does take time.
No doubt I’ll be raising a glass and a silent prayer to my remaining family and to all absent family and friends, who are all etched in the lines on my face and on the palm of my hands.
To the younger generation amongst the ‘Wood Army’, who have their whole lives in front of them, I hope you enjoy the greatest New Year of your young lives. Life genuinely passes you by very quickly so enjoy it to the hilt and I wish you everything that you would wish yourselves and so much more.
As an aside, our ‘Wood Army’ youngsters have brought such energy and such vibrancy to our football club over the last two seasons and their efforts cannot be underestimated. As such I’m more determined than ever to give you all a community football club that will one day sit within the Football League – but until that time, always stay with us, always stay loyal and always stay patient – it’s the Wood way and it has served us well.
Let me wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year and may God Bless you all.
Take care,
Danny.
