Dear Stones Season Ticket Holders and Lounge Members,

The 2023/24 season is well underway so I thought I would comment on some of the news around the club. I am pleased to say there are now about 1,100 of you, a very encouraging number, thank you very much, your club needs you!

As a preamble I am pleased to say that the men’s first team is enjoying a positive start to the season. As I write George Elokobi’s squad is two points off the top after 11 games. It was always going to take a while to get back up to speed after last season but George has rebuilt the squad and now there is certainly a more positive vibe returning. That is excellent news.

Continuing with the men’s first team, the current good form is highly satisfying. The challenge of playing high energy football matches after eight hours of travel, stuck in cars and coaches, should not be underestimated. We have played two-thirds of our matches away from home and right now this division seems to involve just as much long-distance travel as in the national division.

This season we have brought in a new system of recruitment, designed to be more analytical. The system is not perfect but Terry, Bill and I believe it has worked well so far and most of the ten or so new players are already finding their feet in a positive way. The squad is now broad enough to allow us to cope well with a reasonable number of injuries and suspensions. George has done a fine job so far and we wish him success in building upon the latest results and challenging for the title. He has an admirable work ethic, drives the squad to ever greater fitness, thinks hard about tactics game by game, opponent by opponent, and works hard individually to motivate his players according to their personalities and needs. Additionally, he has a fine support team around him.

Youth and Academy: It is always gratifying to see our youngsters doing well, as they are doing so far in the prestigious FA Youth Cup. This season we have about 60 male students in our full-time football academy for 16 to 18-year-olds, operated in partnership with Cornwallis Academy. We would like to expand this number but it is complex to do so as we are effectively sub-contractors to Cornwallis and also we do not have the classroom space. One day, when the Town End Stand is rebuilt, perhaps we will. In the meantime, we are also seeing one or two students integrate with the first team training programme and a couple have already made appearances for the first team. Time will tell how far these talented young players can go.

Women’s football: In recent years the profile of women’s football has grown massively around the world. The Stones women’s section has several youth teams and a development group for the youngest. The women’s first team is currently in the seventh tier of the pyramid. We recently decided to look again at its structure and financing with a view to raising the standard of play and increasing profile amongst players, supporters and sponsors. We feel we should be aiming to play at the fifth level of the pyramid, the National League, where clubs like Dorking and Ebbsfleet play. We will be looking at how much more might this cost, whether our management structure is appropriate, where we might raise more sponsorship, how we can increase attendances and interest in the matches. All these and other questions are on the table as we reflect.

Marketing: We have several sponsorships available right now, including the club shop and the soon to be erected TV gantry. If you are interested in getting your name(s) up and becoming one of the club’s Premium Sponsors or if you know anybody who might then please contact Bob Gouldson, Head of Operations, at the club.

Gallagher Stadium: There have been a few developments over the past months.

• The new safety control cabin and away end washrooms are now up and running. As previously stated, we were obliged to replace the old cabins as they were falling to pieces.
  Under the Genco Stand a new fanzone is being installed, with a smoking area behind. This has been made possible by the generous assistance of Shepherd Neame and iMUSC.
• The vintage bus in the north-west corner is due for a refit and will soon be providing food and refreshment for supporters using the Genco Stand and riverside area.
• We are in the planning phase for the TV gantry and it will be built as soon as planning permission is received, potentially in January 2024.
• We are looking at options to improve provision of refreshments to Manchett Main Stand users, particularly when matches are segregated and the away end facilities are not available. Watch this space.

As ever, thank you for your support and Come on you Stones!

Oliver