Tonight, we welcome Newcastle United Under-21s to the Mangata Developments Stadium, Meadow Park, for a National League Cup game. May I wish their directors, manager, players and supporters a pleasant stay with us and a safe journey home.
Well, it’s been an eventful, progressive and promising last five weeks, which have included an opening day draw, five straight league wins, one National League Cup win, Abdul’s sale to Djurgårdens and four new signings in Farhaan Ali Wahid, Danny Cashman, Ted Curd and Jay Bird, all of whom are very warmly welcomed to the club.
On the injury front, Callum Reynolds is still out with the concussion injury he picked up at Dagenham in pre-season, while Lewis Richardson is quietly nursing a calf injury. As such, his minutes are being carefully managed, though he has still been a very important part of our good start to the season.
So tonights game will be a great opportunity for some of our players to be given a full 90 minutes to impress Luke, while giving their match fitness a boost at the same time. Playing elite clubs like Newcastle United and facing some of the best young talent in the country can only help improve the fitness levels throughout our squad, while helping Luke plan ahead and keep everyone happy.
Until last week, when we managed to sign both Ted Curd and Jay Bird, we had, due to Abdul and Callum Reynolds being unavailable, been operating most weeks with just 16 first-team players and one young member of the Academy. All of which makes our very good league start even more impressive, especially when you look at the large squads most other clubs operate with at National League level.
I would now like to mention and thank our ever-increasing travelling support, who have got themselves up to Halifax and down to Forest Green and Worthing in their numbers. Trust me, your support is hugely appreciated by me and everyone at the club, but it is especially valued by our manager, Luke Garrard, and our dressing room.
On Saturday, we are again away, as we get ready to travel down to Eastleigh for another tough league encounter. I trust as many of you as possible will try to get yourselves down there, make yourselves heard and drive the team forward. I believe when you turn up in your numbers it allows us to react positively and if you can do that again on Saturday I expect us to return from Hampshire with a positive result while maintaining our unbeaten league record to date.
In terms of the new £4 million South Stand and associated facility build, which will be to EFL standard, the main contractual decisions have now been made, led by myself, my architect Paul Beech and my QS, Matthew Foster.
The upshot is that the contractors for the build have now been chosen and appointed across all three phases of the project: Civils, Reid Steel, Portable Offices and SC Slatter.
Other local companies will no doubt quote for things such as CCTV, Wi-Fi, electrical work, signage, lighting and the more intricate details that will turn what is already a very good build into an amazing legacy project.
I do hope that, when the work starts in earnest in three weeks, I can bring some of my film prop master skills to the table, having garnered so much building experience from working within that particular industry for over 30 years.
If I can, I feel it will hugely benefit our club, town and wider community in regard to the existing budget, the best use of space, the overall build and the much-needed detail, while also ensuring the programme and schedule are workable and realistic.
I’ve already put the build into three very clear phases. By building the modular new changing rooms off-site and ordering the steel now to fix prices, given that we will not be starting the South Stand until February 2027, it makes economic sense for the club and also brings the build time down to 40 weeks from start to finish.
So, with a fair wind, I’m now hopeful we can be almost finished and ready for the opening game of our next pre-season. If that is not quite achievable, we will certainly be ready and completely finished for the first game of next season, whatever league that might be in!
As a reminder to everyone, tonight’s game for BWFC Season Ticket Holders IS FREE, with entry hugely discounted for all other fans. It is also a 7pm kick-off, which I feel is more family and fan-friendly, as it allows local kids to be home by 9pm, which helps on a school night.
Finally, whoever you support, let’s hope for an open, attacking game, and may the best team win.
Take care,
Danny
