with two games in one day followed by a players & management night out in Cardiff. It was a great run-out to get the squad match ready and a perfect chance for some valuable team bonding in the evening. A big thank you to our friends in Wales for organising and hosting the day, it was appreciated by everyone that travelled from Chesham, and good luck for your season ahead in the National League North.
After such a good weekend, I must confess to feeling very frustrated this week when I discovered that it is no longer compulsory for clubs to provide food for players on matchdays. I genuinely cannot get my head around this decision. In our league we have some long journeys, and the thought that players might not be fed after games is baffling. It’s not just about player welfare, it’s about common sense – what happens if you are leaving Weston-super-Mare, for example, at 10.30pm on a Tuesday night? What food options will you have? It means additional cost and time on away trips because we will have to stop somewhere for food, at a time when most people will just want to get home.
As a club, we will continue to provide food for visiting players where it is reciprocated. I understand the rule change is linked to full-time clubs in the National League employing nutritionists and wanting players on specific diets, but our league is not just about the full-time teams – and this feels like another example of smaller clubs being overlooked. Yes, I know some clubs have taken shortcuts and resorted to delivering pizzas to dressing rooms, which is not ideal, but surely the answer is to improve standards, not remove the requirement altogether. Maidenhead have already told us they will not be providing our players with any food after tomorrow’s game, which is a shame.
Tomorrow marks our first league game of the season – our second year in the National League South. Last season was tough, and this year looks even tougher with so many sides looking capable of playing at a higher level. Our aim must be to establish ourselves firmly at this standard. Maidenhead, relegated from the National League last season, will be among the favourites to go straight back up, but we will be prepared and motivated. Tickets can be purchased in advance from the Maidenhead website and it would be fantastic to see a strong Chesham following there. We will be in claret and blue, as apparently our yellow strip will clash with their black and white!
It will also be interesting to see some of the new laws come into play and how they are officiated. Goalkeepers now have an eight-second limit to release the ball, and only the captain on the field can speak to the referee. I will be reminding our managers to keep the players aware – we already have a tough enough season ahead without collecting needless yellow or red cards for back-chat. For the stat lovers among you, Saturday’s trip will be the 181st meeting between the clubs. The last league meetings were in 2002/03 in the Isthmian Premier League – that season we also visited Maidenhead in August and lost 5-0, before a 0-0 draw in the return at The Meadow. My thanks to club historian Giles Stevenson for the research.
On Sunday our women’s first team were back in action at The Meadow, hosting Atletico London (formerly London Seaward). After a slow first half, we were 0-2 down, but goals from Sophie Bishop and Emma Bebbington earned a 2-2 draw. It was another useful pre-season game, with many new players making their debuts. The FAWNL season starts at 2pm on Sunday 17th August at home to London Bees.
Our club shop continues to thrive – please do take a look online via the main website. We have now added full youth team kits (shirts, socks, shorts), which have been so popular we have already had to order more. We have also launched a new white replica shirt, plus our usual hats, scarves, ties and a great range of hoodies – autumn will be here before you know it! Our first home league game is next Saturday against Farnborough, our paid parking scheme is proving a success, with many securing spaces for the season. This not only helps with congestion but also provides valuable income without needing to raise admission prices. For context, it’s £20 for adults at Maidenhead tomorrow on the gate.
Tuesday night saw an Open Training Session with the youth, women’s and first teams all training together – a wonderful sight and a reminder of what our club is all about. We must continue to grow together as One Club, not just as a first team. And if you can’t get to Maidenhead tomorrow, Aylesbury are at The Meadow, looking to bounce back from last weekend’s FA Cup exit with a home match against Leverstock Green.
A final call for Prediction League entries before the opening day (although entries are valid until a later date, you just won’t score for games prior to your entry going in). Forms are available online from this link, or you can track down Andy Pearce before the game at York Road on Saturday to fill out a paper form (just ask any Club or Trust official to help find Andy)
Thank you as always for your support – I look forward to seeing many of you at the games in the coming week.
