Chairman's Column 15.08.2023

With four points out of a possible six from our first two league games, we will be looking to extend our unbeaten run when tonight we welcome Dunstable Town to our newly named Verdant Stadium.

We are already beginning to see on the pitch on matchdays what we work so hard on in training namely a useful exuberance, a positive mentality, a togetherness and a desire to dominate from the first whistle. A young side that has started well and can only get better as the season progresses.

What impresses most is the way our two joint coaches, Jordan Wright and Gaz Hunt have knuckled down to the task in their first appointments as head coaches with Jordan making a smooth transition from playing to coaching while Gaz takes on the role of player-coach. Their leadership is being respected and followed.

The men's first team assistants also play a vital part with Josh Thomas as goalkeeper coach, Lily Hyde as physio and Del Digweed providing a great link between the players and the coaches.

Bringing Martin Russell in not just as a coach with the reserves but also as a vital link between reserves and first team has been a crucially important decision. Martin played more than 700 games for the club and he is someone that enjoys the respect of absolutely everyone at every level at the club.

We still have along way to go however and against Aylesbury an inability to finish the four or five chances we created in the first half could have cost us dear when we lost control in the second period and let our opponents back into the game.

It's certainly something we need to improve on for the future although last Saturday a late penalty was enough to earn us the three points.

It was also refreshing to see players players coming off the bench and playing their part in a hard fought victory that demonstrated the unity we have amongst our first team.

Our women's Red team did not have the start they might have hoped for going down 5-0 against Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers F.C. Women, a harsh lesson and one that showed us that we will undoubtedly be looking to a rebuilding process this season after having lost a number of players in the close season.

We have an excellent group of young players coming through for both our Red and Blue women's sides although the chances are that a lack of experience could see them exposed on occasions this season.

But they will learn and improve and our main aim must now be to stay in this division that we were promoted to last season and gradually lay the foundations that can take us forward in the rapidly changing and increasingly demanding world that is women's football.

Enjoy the match.

Onwards and upwards!