Over the course of the next few days a huge number of people will be passing through the turnstiles at The Meadow as we prepare for what should be an incredible weekend not just for the club, but the town.
It all kicks off tonight with our family friendly fireworks extravaganza, please arrive early to avoid the queues, once inside the clubhouse and outside bars will be open and there will be Bills Diner and the Tea Bar to pick up hot drinks and tasty food. The weather forecast is looking dry which is always great news, but the covered stands will be open and there is plenty of terracing all around the ground to ensure even the smallest of children have an excellent view of the fantastic fireworks display we have lined up.When you arrive tonight you will notice that there is a lot more scaffolding and temporary platforms in place.
This is all ready for the small matter of the ITV4 cameras coming to the match on Monday to show our FA Cup game against Lincoln City live on free to view television. A first for the club, something we are very proud and excited about.Since our dramatic late winner over Yeovil Town things have been completely manic in preparation for Monday night and I must once again offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to the army of volunteers who have been magnificent in making this happen.
It has been like no other game we have prepared for – administrating the ticket sales – alongside the fireworks night ticket sales and sale of tickets for other matches – has been a huge task on its own. We have had a team down building the scaffolding platforms for the cameras, there has been television filming for the pre-match, new player profile pictures taken for the television, we are increasing the stewarding, arranging for an ambulance and paramedics to be on site, stocking and managing the clubhouse, recruiting additional matchday volunteers, organising car parking, preparing for league and FA guests, producing a bumper matchday programme (60 pages – packed with content, be sure to pick your copy up) and all this on top of the usual weekly activity.
It has been unbelievably busy. And I love it. I love the buzz it is creating. I love the way the people of Chesham have got behind the club. I love the way local businesses have shown their support. And I love that tingling feeling of excitement that I am sure many of us are experiencing as matchday gets closer. I hope, and believe, it will be a fantastic day in the history of our town, and we can do our community proud by hosting a top class professionally organised event.
On the pitch preparation has been no less intense, and what a credit to the squad that since the Yeovil win they have picked up seven out of a possible nine points in the league, taking us up to tenth place in the National League South. The most recent victory was last Saturday when, once again, we scored two very late goals to turnaround a 1-2 deficit and come away with a 3-2 win at Enfield Town. The character of this squad is unbelievable, and they fully deserve the limelight that comes with Monday’s match, and I am sure they will do themselves and the club proud. The messages of support from other clubs and across social media has been heart-warming. It is only when you read an article by a completely neutral writer talking about the whirlwind journey that Chesham have been on that it sinks in how far we have come in the last twelve months.
There will be many people in the ground on Monday night who may not have been to a Chesham game before, or for a very long time. Aside from the prize money and the television cameras, one thing the FA Cup does do is raise the profile of clubs like Chesham within our own local area and encourage new supporters to games, and it is our job to ensure they enjoy the matchday experience and want to come back to more games throughout the season.
Those of us that attend matches at The Meadow regularly know what a delight it is to watch football at this level. It is a million miles from the corporate game that the Premiership has become, but we believe it has maintained all the best bits. You can still stand on terraces, have a drink with opposition fans in the clubhouse, meet the players, feel a part of the club, make a genuine difference with any volunteering and feel appreciated. Many of our regular supporters are fans of league clubs that have felt dis-associated, or no longer can afford to go and watch their “league team”. I believe there are many more people out there who fall into this category, and hopefully Monday’s game will help them realise that you can still watch live football on a Saturday afternoon without having to break the bank.
Of course being a community club is not just all about the senior men’s team. In-between the fireworks and the FA Cup game on Monday, Chesham’s women were back in FAWNL action last Sunday with a trip to Real Bedford. Despite two goals for Gemma Fraser we suffered a defeat against a side that look like a real challengers for the title this season, Their next focus is a trip to Fulham FC Women on Sunday in the 1st round proper of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup. Chesham’s development team are also back in action against Kidlington on Sunday.
Finally, our over 40 women’s Walking Footballers are heading to St George’s Park, also on Sunday afternoon, for the finals of the brand-new FA Walking Football Cup having won the South Region qualifiers in early October.There are so many fabulous things happening at the club currently and they are not taken for granted.
I appreciate the huge efforts that go into making this happen, long may it continue
Peter Brown
