There are some chairman’s updates coming up later today in relation to the pitch and some significant moves behind the scenes.

However the purposes of this note form me is to clarify a few points and remove any doubt or misunderstandings that there may be.

I was hoping to update on a number of matters before this time, however someone who was one of the closest to me in my life had a heart attack out of the blue and despite fighting with all she had, passed away. So as important as this club is to me and everyone else, I am still human and I have a family of my own. Unfortunately as this club is only run on a handful of people, there isn’t anyone to fill the void when one of us isn’t there,

I’d also like to dispel some of the untrue rumours that maybe causing concern to some genuine club supporters, that have been started and claimed as fact by those who feel the need to do so.

Firstly we are NOT in a crisis! 🤦🏻‍♂️ The pitch has admittedly been a nightmare, however we are dealing with and managing the situation as well as anyone could, and we are still moving forwards with the season. We do not owe HMRC a penny, we are not behind with player wages and our business gearing stands at well below 20%.

The issue causing the delays with the pitch is complex, however it is not the fault of anyone at the club and no one at the club is to “blame” for it happening. Neither is it anyone at the club’s fault that there have been the delays that there have been! We are at the mercy of the availability of specialist engineers and contractors, and there aren’t many of them about that can deal with issues of this complexity and on this scale.

I have spent a lot of time over recent weeks identifying and meeting with specialists to resolve the issue, and thousands of pounds in additional surveys and engaging with these people. This sadly is not a fast process due to the complexity of the problem and the unique circumstances of its environment, and the availability of third party contractors and engineers whose timetables we have to work to.

We would have encountered these issues whenever we looked to put down a new pitch, they would have been unavoidable at anytime.

It has also been somewhat strangely suggested that I am wanting to delay works or there is no money…… so to clarify….. I initiated the whole project in the first place, I paid for the entire planning application and all of the associated surveys, and put in hours and hours of time putting it all together. (The cost implication for the planning and surveys alone is circa £40,000) I have paid for all the subcontractors to do the job and for all of the materials that are currently sat around waiting for us to call them off.

As there has been no pitch, I have covered all of the clubs costs since the last game of last season (five months ago). This includes all running costs of the club, and the weekly player wages which is substantial, and I continue to do so.

There is a significant cost implication to hire Alfreton’s ground for the rearranged fixture which again I will cover. So be under no illusions no one is more frustrated than me at the delays as it is costing me a lot of money to keep the show on the road, and would have been much cheaper with a lot fewer issues if I had never started the process in the first place, however for the long term sustainability of our clue this is essential. So if I have to go through some short term pain to make sure it’s right then I will do so.

So to suggest there are no funds or indeed for some crazy reason I am wanting to delay the project makes absolutely no sense at all, as all of the delays are costing me well into six figures at this point and if there were no issues I wouldn’t be needed to deal with all of the negativity and fall out that I am. However I am committed to the club, its growth and development and its future and I think this has been clearly demonstrated time and time again over the years and certainly now more than ever.

Let me also put this issue to bed once and for all…….as this seems to be mentioned on a regular basis and it makes me cringe every time!! There is a covenant on the whole site that states that this property can never have residential property built on it EVER!!!! This is easily checkable at the land registry site! So no one is trying to send the club under to develop the site for housing!

I would also like to take this opportunity to provide some clarity and give you a level of expectation in terms of information sharing from the club. This is still a privately owned business, and as its owner I have a duty of care to my staff and volunteers. If a member of our team whatever their role within the club is released from their contract, I will not publically state why. It is not a matter for public consumption and to protect that individual’s privacy, reputation, mental well-being and relationship with myself and the club. I will keep that information between myself and them. It is hard enough to lose your job, but to have it shared publicly why isn’t the right thing to do, but you can be rest assured that all of the decisions I make are always for the benefit of the club. This club has been my life for five years, I put hundreds of hours per month and have put more money into this club than anyone else in the history of this club, my determination is stronger than ever to make it work!

Also, please remember that I see and know everything that happens here and have all the information to hand when making these decisions, nothing is a snap judgement and if we are making a decision it’s because we have already put a contingency plan in place.

Whether you like me personally or not, is quite frankly pretty much irrelevant. I took over this club when it needed someone to do so and we have performed miracles thus far to achieve what we have and continue to grow and defy the odds. You don’t become a club chairman if you don’t have a thick skin or you have sleepless nights worrying about what people say or think about you.

But those individuals who are constantly making up false claims and rumours, trying to publicly slag me off and trying to make me look bad by constantly dogging me at every opportunity, you are wasting your time…… it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but it makes the club look bad when it isn’t, which in turn affects potential sponsors, potential new signings, the ability to attract volunteers and the list goes on. Some of the comments and claims made on social media have started affecting our current players and squad!

So you might get a few “likes” on your posts, but the term “supporter” by definition and its spelling infers “support” and what you are doing is damaging the club, not supporting it. So by all means, make stuff up and slag me off till your heart’s content between yourselves, I really don’t care! But doing it on social media and in public forums is damaging to the club and I can only assume that by continuing to do so, your intent is to damage the club itself, and if that’s the case then it’s not something I can allow to happen to our club, its genuine supporters, its great bunch of volunteers and all we have and are achieving. This is the one and only time I will ever mention this…….so don’t get behind me, get behind the club and and be the wind in our sails and not the stone in our shoe!

Please keep an eye on socials later today as we have been ridiculously busy and have a lot to update you on…….including the pitch and some big changes at boardroom level.