The team is looking better and better as the weeks go by and hopefully we can start converting a few more of the chances that have gone begging recently and improve our goal difference. We are still looking to recruit to strengthen the team in certain areas and are mindful of expiring loan deals too. It’s not easy to do that while respecting a strict budget but this is how we have been doing with considerable success and plenty of unforgettable moments for 14 years and we now can all enjoy having a thriving club.

We aim for the play-offs at least again this season but we’re going easy on George in the FA Cup. Our target is merely the Fourth Round this season….

Speaking of which, this weekend sees us return to FA Cup action away at Solihull in the First Round. This will be a really tough test for George’s squad but we know from experience that you should never underestimate an Elokobi team in an FA Cup match.

Breathe deeply, keep your fingers tightly crossed and BELIEVE

Here’s a quick update on other subjects I know are of interest to fans:

– The Stones Women’s team are starting to show real form as we rebuild the team. It’s a tough division but we aim to go higher short-term. Please get behind them and go along to support, you will not regret it.

– We are lucky now to have a wonderful, modern stadium to call our own. It’s easy to forget that just over a decade ago we didn’t have a home to call our own and nearly didn’t have a club at all, again. We have had to expand and correct design flaws at The Gallagher as we have moved up the pyramid and, to coin a phrase, the only constant is change. However, projects are very costly and prices have risen considerably over the recent years. The away toilet and control room portakabin project cost £120k! The home toilets will cost nearly £100k with ground works and professional fees added. Furthermore we need planning permission, which takes time. We are eligible for Football Foundation grants towards such projects and given that any surplus cash goes towards the playing budget, we sometimes choose to apply for these grants, which may extend the time it takes to finish projects. Remember that having to pee in a mobile toilet for a few extra weeks might just help pay for that centre-forward…

–  A football club is a hugely complicated business to run. In my experience there is nothing quite like it. My previous real estate company was child’s play in comparison. Bob Gouldson and his team running the club and stadium do a fantastic job day to day, without which we would be poorer in every sense.

–  There was great satisfaction in beating Ebbsfleet so convincingly in the FA Cup recently, particularly because they enjoy exceptional, unsustainable funding of about £1.5 million per annum and therefore have at least twice the playing budget we have. What a fantastic achievement by our players and management team.

– Hopefully you are enjoying the new broadcasting position from the TV Gantry. The view is superb and we have innovated with high-quality commentated highlights and post-match reviews from the lofty position in the gantry.

– Our short-term aims are to gain promotion and then consolidate in the National League. With continuing efforts and good fortune (and possibly some new investment) we will get there. Thanks as ever to you our fans, our volunteers, our loyal staff and last but not least our generous business partners for your valuable support, which makes our club so special.

See you soon and in the meantime: Come on you Stones!

Oliver