The new month sees our chairman Derek Graham provide an update from our board to keep all of our supporters and partners, helping you keep up to date with the clubs progress. Please get in contact if you have any comments or suggestions.
Winning ways!
What an amazing start to the season. We couldn’t have asked for more from Dan, the coaching staff and the team. We have real quality in depth. Those of you who went to Melksham on Bank Holiday Monday will have seen three superb goals, and it would have been more if not for a very good rear-guard action by their captain - Greg Tindle.
But, looking forward we have three very tough games to come. I am writing this before Saturday’s game against Cirencester, which we know will be our toughest yet. However, our performance against Plymouth Parkway shows we can go away to very good sides and come away with something. We then have very tough games against Oxford City in the FA Cup and Dicot in the Trophy.
City are a Conference South side, but we are at home and this season Badgers Hill has been a fortress. Attendances are going up all the time and we are expecting a bumper crowd against the ‘Hoops’.
Mascots "It’s been great to see all the mascots at our home games. I know they really enjoy the experience and we have had some brilliant feedback on how good they players are with them. Huge thank you to everyone at Frome Town United who help to make this happen! It's really starting to feel like one big family!
Transfer window Sadly the higher leagues transfer window has closed so we can’t use it to get Messi and Ronaldo. But we're currently not expecting any movement within our squad. However, you will note the Rob Hobbs has returned and gone out on loan to build up fitness. We may have another couple of the squad dual signing and loaning out to make sure they are involved and playing matches.
Off the pitch You will all be aware of the difficult decision we had to take in respect of the car raffle, but the Board have been overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity in either donating to our Crowdfunder appeal or asking us to keep their ticket purchase money. We even had donations from people who hadn’t bought a ticket. Some of the comments are great to read. The money raised will be shared with Fair Frome and we are inviting suggestions as to how we should spend our portion, we are looking into the possibility and requirements of installing a community defibrillator at the main gates.
Sponsors
I want to thank all those who have sponsored the Club so far, be it by purchasing perimeter boards, sponsoring players or matches. On the last point, a massive thanks to the Ultras for their sponsorship so far and everything they did last Saturday. We've got lots to announce over the coming weeks.
Feels like a while ago now, but I want to thank IMS Ltd for their amazing sponsorship of our first home game, to see nearly 900 people in the ground was brilliant.
Clubhouse closure
The closure of the Clubhouse was very unfortunate, particularly as the notifications only came in on the morning of the game. So it was a frantic effort by all to get everything in place to make the game experience as good as possible. I am grateful for the understating shown by the Mangos. Luckily we have no more home fixtures until it re-opens. We hope that everyone in the Clubhouse is well and hopefully just bored sat at home. But we know we all have a huge responsibility during these times as the last thing football can afford is to shut down again. We hope to see you all back in the clubhouse shortly. I need to take this moment to thank everyone for their generous offers of help, and we are in a good place should the club be ever in this situation again.
Being part of the club We are always looking at ways of increasing your involvement in the Club, and some of you may have seen the launch of our Supporter Members initiative. This is an annual membership that is open until 31 October until 30 June 2022. It’s £20, reduced to £10 if you are a season ticket holder and/or Supporters Club member. This gives you the right to attend our AGM. The Board are very aware that due to Covid restrictions, we have not held an AGM for some time. Our current thinking is we will hold one in early 2022, which will give us the opportunity to present the latest Club accounts.
Finances
You may have smiled when you saw the reference in the Melksham programme to us as a ‘big budget’ club. Trust me, we are not. But what we do have is a managed budget which will see us able to operate effectively this season and go into the next in a good position.
50:50 Club draw
It's been again a pleasure to see that the winners of the 50:50 competition have all been in contact and more instances that have help some of them turn winnings into season tickets. It's fantastic to see the joy people get from getting a cash prize from a monthly donation of £5.
Three and easy
As always thanks to the Supporter’s Club for everything they do to raise funds through the ‘three ‘n’ easy’ and matchday raffle. Amazingly the ‘three ‘n’ easy’ has just been won by a well known person! Who thought he new anything about football.
Inside the ground
The theft of the wallet and contents from one of our most loyal supporters was a disgusting act, but yet again everyone, including the players, rallied round to compensate him for his loss. There is no place for people prepared to do things like that at our Club. I also want you all to respect people’s personal choices when it comes to Covid precautions.
Sadly, My Big Fat Greek Wraps have had to stop providing catering at our matches due to unforeseen reasons. The good news is that Scout and Hunter who provided catering at some of our pre-season friendlies have agreed to pick up the torch. Please do support them.
Flexi tickets
Don't forget 12 games, price of 10, what's not to like...
Cheerio I am now off for a short break after the Cirencester game, but I know things will run smoothly in my absence. Some even say they run more smoothly... but I'm always at the end of the phone.
If you watch one video today, make it this one...
'Del'
Derek Graham
Chairman
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