Chairmans Blog – November
Firstly, I’d like to pass on our sincere condolences to Ian Reece’s family, such sad news and Ian was more than a Druids volunteer, he was a friend and someone that often visited me for a coffee and to pass on his thoughts about the club and the game as a whole. We will all miss him.
It’s been an interesting month on and off the field and my thoughts on the game have changed considerably.
On the field we’ve started to turn things around and get our act together. Players are starting to gel and the results are coming but we need more consistency. The January transfer window will see a few incomings to strengthen the team and allow us to push onwards. I’ll be sad to see some players leave but the game is results driven and we need to get results.
The academy infrastructure is still a work in progress and in drastic need of change. Matthew Harris is onboard as our new Technical Director, and his remit is to oversee all aspects of coaching and player development. Our target is to be in the top three of each age group from 12 to 19 and we are far from reaching that this season, but optimistic we can in future.
Several parents have voiced their displeasure at how things have been with some coaches, we appreciate the feedback and their points have been noted. Some have been reminded that they lobbied me to allow the coaches to get on with it. They got what they wanted and now they’re blaming the club for the failings. Therefore, changes are coming, and we will be moving to a more business like structure and see where that takes us. We hope their displeasures will be addressed and amended.
The club’s accounts are due to be published and we made an operating loss of £35,000 of which £28,000 is from the academy. Next season the academy is forecast to make a huge loss, as will most of the other Cat A/B academies, and so we need to find sustainable ways of generating income. We have been hard a work behind the scenes and have several plans that are close to completion. An announcement is due shortly.
More than just a football club.
