After 67 years of trying, after the trials and tribulations of countless relegations and promotions. Boreham Wood Football Club will finally play its first league game at the very highest level of non league football on Saturday.
When Wood Chairman Danny Hunter takes his seat for the Halifax game a little before 3pm, It will in fact be his 17th season as the clubs Chairman and he gave up a few minutes of his time to share his thoughts with us “To play in the new National league is a dream come true for me and many others, as the road to get here has been so tough”.
“I am in reality just the clubs figurehead and much of the credit in recent years must really go to my sons, my staff and the various dressing rooms that we have been put together over the last 10 years.. We’re still only a small club, we still only have a small dedicated workforce but they have been loyal to me. All have helped me quietly oversee and shape our rise from the struggles of kicking about the Ryman Division 1 North, to our present level of competing in the New National League”.
Hunter continued “It’s no good me trying to pretend that I’m not excited about everything that lies ahead but I’m also nervous and apprehensive that the clubs infra structure doesn’t let down my manager Ian Allinson, the dressing room or our town in what is ostensibly a full time national division. I’ve managed to find a way to give the gaffer, our academy director and our groundsman the biggest departmental budgets in our history but is it enough, I genuinely don’t know??”
“The last 6 weeks have been difficult for me for a number of reasons.. Firstly It’s been a race against time to complete our pitch, ground works and to finish our front of house builds for the season. In fact we won’t finish our front of house works until Thursday night, when the foyer carpets finally get laid”.
“Secondly I didn’t manage to attract an Arsenal or Watford first team to Meadow Park for this pre season and that adds a little pressure to my budget forecasts but these are normal football problems and not something that I cannot overcome”.
“The facility, the ground and the playing surface are all in fantastic condition and as such both the visiting and home supporters, can look forward to being looked after and the pitch really is conducive to seeing good teams playing fantastic football at Meadow Park this season”.
Hunter concluded “going into a National league has already brought challenges to my door regarding budget, policing, stewarding, segregation, catering, TV, radio and hospitality. I expected that to be the case but I believe we are now ready. I accept we are the new kids on the block and it seems we are everybody’s favourite’s for relegation. That’s ok, we must ensure we use the underdog tag and people’s perception of us to our advantage and surprise a few”.
“I genuinely believe if the town does get behind us on a regular basis, that we can prove to everyone including ourselves, that we are worthy of a place at the top table of non league football. My worry is if the town doesn’t bother to get behind us, then it promises to be a very long, hard season and that could be a big, big problem. We’ll no doubt all know a little more come 5pm on Saturday, for now I just hope that the town doesn’t only turn up for play off finals but gets behind the team from the get go this season and the team in turn gives them performances to be proud of.
