Today, we welcome our good friends from Fylde. May I wish their directors, manager, players and supporters a pleasant stay with us and a safe journey home.
Well, it’s been another busy seven days, both on and off the field of play, since we beat a hard working and resilient Woking team 3 -2 here in the FA Cup.
I’m told that, having reached the First Round Proper once again, and with that being 13 First Round appearances in the last 14 years, we are, at present, the most successful FA Cup club currently residing in non-league football over the last 15 years. Some achievement, if true?
As a quick aside, were you as surprised as me that Luke Garrard has been overlooked twice thus far for the National League ‘Manager of the Month’ award? If I’m honest, on a selfish note, I’m very happy we’ve dodged that proverbial bullet, as I would have been worried that the dreaded Manager of the Month curse was about to derail us, but I’m surprised nonetheless.
On a positive note, I was delighted that Ben Whitfield (September) followed Matt Rush (August) in winning the National League ‘Player of the Month’ award. In both cases, nobody could say the awards were not thoroughly deserved.
As I told you in my last programme notes, over the last two and a half months we’ve, at times, been down to just 14 or 15 fit players. During that period, we quietly went about our business and, through the focus and hard work of our Sporting Director, Charlie Hunter, and Manager, Luke Garrard, we’ve signed some very good players who have all contributed to our excellent start to the season. As such, we now have decent squad depth.
Our thinking was simple after losing Abdul Abdulmalik. If we want to challenge for the title outright, then we need to spend a few quid intelligently, which we have, and strengthen ourselves by bringing in some very good players in Farhaan Ali Wahid, Danny Cashman, Ted Curd, Jay Bird, Ben Whitfield, Conor Wilkinson and Will Wright.
These signings give Luke the flexibility to be competitive in all competitions, including the League, FA Cup, FA Trophy and National League Cup, and that showed itself in last week’s home victory over Woking in the FA Cup, where the whole squad was utilised.
Our squad, if I’m being picky, is still slightly on the small side, and so we will remain on the lookout for the right players who can improve us and help this squad move forward.
Today is a big day for our medical, strength and conditioning team, as both Callum Reynolds and Matt Rush near full fitness, and their return will undoubtedly strengthen our ranks. Getting these senior players back is huge and will hopefully give Luke a few selection headaches as the league and cup games continue to come thick and fast.
In our last home league game, when we beat Altrincham 3 -1, I was surprised and delighted that we attracted a crowd of 1,646, with more than 1,500 home fans. It shows me, my sponsors, our partners and everyone else that, in a town of just 37,500 residents, our supporters and wider community are with us and hugely enjoying the football being served up.
Our increasing gates signify hope and progress, because on top of being a well-run community football club, these step-by-step improvements allow us to dream the impossible dream and quietly progress. I don’t know if we will ever get promotion done, but I do expect us to bloody the noses of a few of the bigger clubs trying.
That said, if we can get just one promotion over the line, it will give hope to every small non-league club up and down the country who, like us, have ambitions of winning this league. If we ever do achieve our dream of getting to the EFL, perhaps I can justifiably claim that my risk-averse, step-by-step approach was the right way to go for our small, bespoke club.
My tenure, in truth, has experienced many highs, but perhaps a lot more lows and, for sure, plenty of tearful moments, especially at Wembley. That said, the feeling I get when I’m watching you fans, my town, my friends and family going crazy during those highs never gets old and is truly a gift from God.
When I’m with my family and watching those magic moments unfold, they are almost slow-motion events that mean so much to me. Possibly because I’m a local man, it all feels almost intimate, as these are the special moments that I’ll take to my grave.
To be a longstanding Chairman takes money, madness and patience. In my case, it also meant understanding very early on that I’d need long-term partners, loyal sponsors and, importantly, more than just a few sustainable income streams.
Once I’d built those partnerships, once we’d become more sponsor-driven and once we’d created more wide-ranging, sustainable income streams, it became more about cultivating your loyal and patient support. That, in turn, allowed me to plan, mentor a manager, help build a dressing room and eventually build a stadium that I hope will soon be fit for the Football League.
Having won two titles and three play-offs in my time here, I have also failed in the National League play-offs four times, including two semi-final defeats at Harrogate and Notts County, plus two extraordinary Wembley losses to Tranmere and Rochdale.
As such, I can only imagine how amazing it must feel for clubs like Orient, Lincoln, Grimsby, Tranmere, Salford, Stockport, Chesterfield, Wrexham, Notts County, Oldham, Barnet, York City and Rochdale, who I’ve watched get themselves out of the National League. And I note that they are all currently thriving.
As a local man, I’ve owned the club since the 90s, played very badly for it in the 80s, and my father once managed it proudly in the 60s and 70s. To say it would be the honour of my life to take our football club, you supporters, my staff, this dressing room, our town and our wider community to the promised land would simply be an understatement.
Having said that, we are still a long, long way from climbing the mountain and getting to the EFL, and believe me, it is a mountain. Though I accept we have currently got ourselves to base camp with a record 35 points from our first 13 league games.
I often tell you that cautious planning comes into play the higher you go up the pyramid. I also told you, after our more than positive start to this season, that it’s getting to the stage where Jennifer Priestley, my Accountant, Ciara Dyer, my Finance Director, my inner circle and staff must look very seriously at what next season might hold for us.
Put more simply, if we want this to be our year, we must accept the pressure. We’ve now gone clear at the top and, having completed more than 28% of the season, we accept that we are there to be shot at. We understand there is now no hiding place, and we must enjoy whatever pressure comes our way between now and the end of the season.
Can I now say a very big thank you to the ‘Wood Army and every one of the 300 who travelled down to Sutton United last Friday, and then turned up again for the Woking FA Cup tie last Saturday. I love your passion, love your noise and love the way you celebrate our victories with the players.
This football club is currently in the best shape in its entire history, and you are now improving things further by creating more noise and atmosphere, both home and away. In truth, you are making a huge difference to me, Luke, the staff and the team, and it’s joyous.
Well, the good news off the park just keeps on coming.
Today, I can report that our CIL Agreement with HBC has been signed off and our new 50-year lease has been agreed. The new agreement includes safeguards and five-year reviews, while also taking into account our community work and being guided by our community benefit document.
The work we now do within the community is more fully recognised by HBC and EBTC, particularly in terms of the benefits and income we bring into the town, its retailers, shopkeepers, pubs, restaurants, petrol stations, car parks and wider community.
Which, in simple terms, means you might have to put up with me looking after you for a few more years, haha.
It also means our £4.25 million South Stand and associated facilities build is now well underway, and it’s fully funded by myself, the club, HBC, EBTC, the Football Foundation, Premier League Fund, AFC and BW PASE.
In my opinion, it will change the landscape of this club and our town forever. In truth, when I look back, these improvements, club builds and our latest stadium project actually started well over 27 years ago.
Ultimately, it’s resulted in us building the West Stand, North Bank, new entrance roads, electronic barriers, car park, Desso GrassMaster pitch, grounds building, irrigation, fence lines, astro pitches, hospitality suites, East Stand, offices, gantries, study suites, gymnasium, control rooms, club shop, away fan zone, digital turnstiles, new floodlights, medical centre, changing rooms, bin stores, toilets, kitchens, Glass House and South Stand.
When you then add in things like drainage, signage, electrics, lighting, pathways, compounds and connections, it’s truly been an expensive labour of love.
I cannot believe I’m about to say it, but if we do ever gain promotion to the EFL, it would mean my dreams and prayers, in my mother and father’s memory, would have been realised. And though I’ve spent tens of millions of pounds getting here, it would be the best money I’ve ever spent.
That said, “nothing in life is guaranteed”, and there’s no such thing as a “free lunch” in this life. As such, after just 13 league games, nothing is a given. Not when you have some great ex-league clubs like Southend, Harrogate, Yeovil and Carlisle United chasing you down.
I’m now 64 years of age, and I feel that if God loves a trier, then it’s time for Him to answer my prayers and allow me to finish off what I started way back in 1999. If that means it’s time for me to work a little harder or spend a little bit more to complete the next stage of this legacy build, then so be it.
Anyway, enough of dreams, enough of all our yesterdays, let’s get back to the football.
Today is about welcoming a very good Fylde team to Meadow Park, along with our much-loved ex-midfielder Tom Whelan, his wife Ella and little boy Sonny.
Fylde are also owned by my good friend, Mr David Haythornwaite, who I often meet on my England jaunts. Trust me, Fylde are a very good side, they arrive here in good form, they will pose a huge threat to our unbeaten league run, and it’s clear to everyone who knows this league that they are serious promotion rivals.
As a quick reminder, today is also ‘Ladies Day’ here at Meadow Park, and it’s something we hugely look forward to putting on each season. Ladies Day has quickly become one of the best days of the year here at the Club.
Remember, all our ladies and girls get ‘free’ match-day entry. They also get a ‘free’ cocktail, mocktail or glass of prosecco to kick things off, and then there’s a ‘free’ Karaoke Evening with our manager, staff and players in the Glass House.
So enjoy yourselves, don’t drink too much and have a great time, ladies.
Lastly, whoever you support this afternoon, let’s hope for an open, attacking game, and may the best team win.
Take care,
Danny
