I write these notes on the eve of the new season, and I sit here wondering where the supposed break has gone. It does not seem two minutes since the end of last campaign, and the rollercoaster is about to get underway once again.

I referred to the “supposed break”, as when you’re involved in a non-league football club, there’s no break over summer. Our various WhatsApp groups have been pinging constantly for the past few months, and the ground has been a hive of activity.

I will start by saying how proud I am of the work we have achieved so far this summer. Given the position we were in, and the size of the challenge, we were never going to turn this club around overnight, and we still have a long way to go. But we still have had a very successful summer, in a variety of ways across the whole club, and we have made clear progress towards our long-term goals.

Whilst my name might be “above the door”, I am only one part of a team. Without volunteers, clubs like ours do not exist and we have moved to strengthen our executive team to create an infrastructure that will allow the club to thrive. After our AGM in early July, we now have a committee that is a dozen strong, and this includes our first ever dedicated Fixture Secretary, as well as two Welfare Officers and a Head of Ladies & Girls Football. To be in this position, after just a year, is a fantastic sign of the change we have gone through, and we now have a talented, dedicated team all pulling in the same direction. I’d like to thank them all for coming with us on this journey.

Our financial difficulties over the past 18 months have been no secret, but we have been extremely proactive in exploring funding opportunities and sponsorship which has allowed us to keep the club afloat, as well as make meaningful changes. Unfortunately, nothing is ever easy at this club, and we have also been hit with several unexpected bills that have been or will need addressing. This means we still have a hand tied behind our back, but I am still confident that in the next few weeks and months, we will have completed the improvements of our toilet and tearoom area and restored the front of our pavilion and surrounding area, to create a more aesthetically pleasing experience on match days. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our vice-chairman Lewis Brooks, for not only his hard work in trying to secure sponsorship, but also for his many hours down at the ground painting the inside our stand. Without spending huge amounts, he has made a real difference to the look and feel of the ground.

One of the highlights of my summer was attending the youth team presentation we had at Ollerton House. This was for four of our teams, and it gave me immense pride to see so many young happy faces, proudly representing their local club. Over the past few months, we have expanded our junior section even further, bringing girls football back to Walesby Lane thanks to the hard work of Jack Corfield, welcoming two teams who join us from Walesby Juniors, and adding an Under 18 team, with Matt bringing his side from Blidworth. We now have eight junior teams playing for the club, and opportunities we are offering local children have never been greater.

A difficult moment was the recent decision to withdraw our Reserve team from their league and run with just one senior side this season. I have great respect for Mark, and he has been a fantastic servant to the club in his years with us. However, events in pre-season had an impact on their squad and we made the decision, in order for those lads who still want to play to go and find a new club in time for the new season. I wish them all the very best.

Of course, last season was incredibly difficult for us all, with the relegation of the first team and the incredibly poor set of results. The Northern Counties East League is a very strong, unforgiving league, and for various reasons, we were just not able to compete and suffered dearly. There has been no relegation from Division One for a year or two, but in truth it would have been embarrassing to get a reprieve after such a poor season and I am not sure it would have been the best thing for us.

I’d like to thank James Humphreys for the way he guided the club through to the end of the season. Whilst results did not improve how any of us wanted, he could have easily given up and left the club in a perilous situation, but despite the number of setbacks he received along the way, he stuck to the task and left with his head held high and the upmost respect from myself and the rest of the committee.

We have moved to hire Lee Cook to replace James and when Lee showed an interest in the job, it felt like a natural, sensible move for the club to take. Cooky has great experience, having managed at step 6 and in the Central Midlands League previously, and he has a big contact book to help with player recruitment. Unfortunately, the club is still unable to offer a playing budget, but in our initial conversations with Cooky, it was clear that we were aligned on where the club was, and where it needed to be over the next year or two and we are confident in his abilities to help us achieve these goals.

The work he has done over the past few weeks has been first class, and he has assembled a talented squad. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome back Josh Madin and Lewis Price, two top lads and great footballers who I am delighted to see back in our colours this season. There’s also a welcome back to Josh Brentnall and Sam Roebuck, the two remaining players from last year’s squad. To all the new players, I hope you have enjoyed our time with us so far and I hope we can all enjoy a successful season together.

Being Chairman of this football club can weigh heavily at times, certainly when things do not go well, but I am still incredibly proud to be in this position, and to do my bit every day to help move the club forward. I have always spoken about the potential of this club, and the possibilities for what it could become. We have made fantastic progress so far, and I am confident that this new season will see even more positive change at The Lane.
Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Let’s hope we can start the season with a win on Saturday.

Up the Town!

Liam