Today we welcome Leyton Orient to the Mangata Pay UK Stadium for our FA Cup First Round tie. May I wish their Directors, Manager, players and supporters an enjoyable time with us and a safe journey home.
Well, it’s been a tough time for me, the club and you the fans since the last time I wrote my programme notes for the Hornchurch home game here just 12 days ago. If I’m honest it’s also been a pretty disastrous last 12 months for me, my bank balance and for the club’s future ambitions but we must wipe our mouths, be positive and move forward…
It’s been a bit frustrating after the FA Cup draw, as the home ticket sales for this afternoon’s FA Cup game have been a bit slow, but I suppose considering we are now a National League South club, the hangover felt by our town from last seasons’ relegation is still with us. I can relate to that after our relegation and six months later, I too share your frustration.
Perhaps even more so after this summer’s infrastructure spend went over budget and then our squad and first team build also went over budget. At present the league table is ugly and in truth does not warrant my current levels of investment but the season is still in its infancy.
The difficult news on the pitch and financially off it, continued this week as the new Government have announced they are putting up Employer’s National Insurance contributions which is another huge blow for all small football clubs, businesses, and no doubt redundancies will soon become realities.
Today though being a Sunday, let’s forget our financial worries, National Insurance issues and our mid-table league form. Let’s just enjoy FA Cup football, let’s say a little prayer and let’s look forward to what I hope will be an exciting cup tie for our fans against Leyton Orient.
I know in the past I have been accused of possibly being over-loyal and possibly I’ve even been in denial about certain players and staff for far too long – but loyalty and caring about people is not the worst trait to have. If I’m honest, in my time here I have overseen four promotions, two title-winning teams, six play-off attempts, incredible cup runs and half a dozen Herts Senior Cup triumphs – but in truth, this squad and dressing room at present are simply not showing the ambition, desire, mental toughness, character or the personality to succeed and they know that.
For me young players and young staff must be helped, or they become sterile, they must be shown the ropes by old school and experienced pros and senior staff. It’s why I feel that at times young people can look like rabbits caught in the headlights when they play in big games or in pressure situations.
Senior players in the modern world are not leading the dressing rooms anymore, as this woke world has killed off the big personality players, the great captains, the larger-than-life characters and the ‘old school’ managers, and for me the game is now worse off…
I find it sad that a lot of the modern day senior players and my football-associated senior staff seem to negate the importance of team spirit, the importance of togetherness and the importance of achievable realistic ambition. Even at my age, I still get up every day and do a 60 to 70-hour week. I still choose to work for my family, my staff, my Town, Community, and this Football Club free of charge to help create better lives, better memories and magic moments.
Every season I still choose through my personal investment, whether through my properties and my other companies to underwrite my family, the club losses and when needed I still bankroll or find the funding for our club and community improvements and commit to our future club and community ambitions to the very best of my ability.
Every day at present is proving to be a challenge for me, but I must accept with a limited if loyal fanbase that this season I must plug a £400k black hole and that if we are to be successful will perhaps rise further. In truth, it should have been evident to me a tad earlier, as we had already lost a huge amount of revenue in our home pre-season schedule and in our season ticket sales.
At present, relegation has bashed me up, as we are more than 35% down on match ticket sales and, after said relegation, we have also lost 85% of our National League central funding. In truth, problem solving and finding solutions is the key to me unlocking our future potential, but for now underwriting our losses and building the South end of the ground will be my life and hopefully legacy for the foreseeable, but let me be clear I cannot balance the books or get remotely close with an average of just 750 supporters, that includes cheap season tickets.
For more than 25-years when I reflect back, I look at my investment and the efforts of myself, my family, and I feel proud – but mostly I look at the efforts and loyalty of my incredible staff, sponsors and partners who have stood the test of time with me…
I’m more than happy with what we’ve all achieved together, however I suspect some of our newer Spurs and Arsenal supporters who have us as their second club, are now not so happy and that might prove problematic in the coming months and years, because I’m going to need this Town, Community and Hertsmere Borough Council’s support more than ever, if we are to complete the stadium and get promotion back to the National League…
Trust me, to be a Non-League Chairman or owner year-after-year, it does need energy, ambition but it also needs staying power, it also needs me to retain my love of Community, Club and for that you need your health and bloody big pockets.
Over a long period of time, I’ve needed mental toughness and a bit of madness, but most of all I’ve needed a work ethic that allows me to manage the guaranteed disappointments you get at a small community Football Club. Throughout my tenure, I have learned to rely on myself when things go wrong, I have also relied on my loyal staff, but mostly I rely on my own experience and old school standards and I quickly understood when all others were doubting me, that I must rely on my leadership, instincts and decision-making to get things back on track no matter how hard the fight and I’ve once again been put in that position.
In truth, today is an easy day for me. It’s the FA Cup and we will have a proper crowd here at Meadow Park for the very first time this season. It’s also an easy one for the dressing room as they are tasked with being an underdog team again, hoping to beat an EFL club, and with us having reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the eleventh time in the last thirteen seasons, Luke and the staff already know the drill.
Hopefully, today will give Luke, the dressing room and our Town, cause for optimism, another cup memory and giant killing to enjoy. However, after this afternoon we must put the cup to bed and make our mark this season by winning our bread-and-butter league games and giving ourselves a real shot at promotion and even a chance at the title.
However, today is all about you the fans, the possible glory of an FA Cup victory and of course our dressing room. For me at my age, it’s only ever about memories and only the magic of the FA Cup can bring you that.
Today is thrilling, it’s about once again being an underdog club against a League One club, and I hope our home supporters come out in force and back Luke Garrard and our lads. Who knows a full house, a cup upset and a togetherness, maybe just the kick start and incentive we need to get our season back on track?
Lastly, whoever you support let’s hope for an open attacking game and may the best team win.
Take care,
Danny
