Boreham Wood Football Club chairman Danny Hunter spoke of his delight at the progress being made across the club and the academy since the end of last season.
Hunter was speaking ahead of the beginning of pre-season and the return of the first team squad and he asserted his belief that the club’s supporters will be more important than ever in this campaign as they look to make a charge on the Vanarama National League.
“Our day-to-day staff are working harder than ever to continue the progress that we have made,” the Chairman began. “The business and the academy side of the club has continued to grow since April and the new facilities are really starting take shape.
“Our first team reported back today for pre-season and we’ve managed to add another three very important people to our small, but dedicated workforce, over the summer.
“I knew, after our end-of-season review, that we needed to increase our full-time workforce in key areas, that is difficult though, in truth, as we still have to work within a very tough economic framework.
“That said, if we do want to progress at this level, then we will need a more focused playing staff, a more focused management team and a dressing room that can mirror the aspirations and hopes that I have for this club.
“In short, it felt like we needed people who could bring energy, experience and a most importantly, the mind-set that this football club is their main priority and not just a second job.”
Boreham Wood have worked towards this end, securing key personnel ahead of next season, while adding to the already strong team. The arrivals of new assistant manager Terry Harris and players Keiran Murtagh, Dean Wells, Tom Champion and Paul Benson should all prove vital in the new campaign.
Hunter continued “I sincerely hope that we can find that balance as we look to finalise three or four more signings in the next month.
“My loyal staff have collectively worked so hard for the club, and over the last 18 years or so I believe that we have earned our fans trust. And that trust can only help both me and Luke (Garrard) in the difficult times, as they are never very far away in football.”
“It would have been easy, I suppose, to keep things cosy and ignore the end-of-season indicators. However, experience has taught me that if there is a negative energy in-and-round us, then we need to get rid of this early as it breeds discontent, and with discontent you face an uphill struggle.
“So, we decided to shake things up a bit, increase the budget a tad and see what a bit of optimism and a few fresh faces would bring us.”
The club has grown enormously in recent years and have now become a fully established National League outfit under the leadership of Hunter and Garrard, but, now the pair want more.
“As I’ve said before, we have all worked so hard over so many years to get to this point and to enjoy our supporters trust,” Hunter continued. “Their support is going to be vital if Luke, our dressing room and our football club are to compete on a national level.
“This season more than ever, we’re going to need the town to shake off its now famed apathy, we’re going to need the residents to become regular supporters, for them to buy season tickets, to bring their families and to drag their friends to a game or two.
“We have made incredible strides as a club both on-and-off the pitch in recent years and if we can create some early season energy, if we can get some local commitment and if we can create a real togetherness in every area of the club and the town; then any doubts or negativity there may be about us playing at this level, will disappear quickly. That means that we can go into this season with hope, optimism and a real sense of purpose.”
