Firstly, it is great to finally get the season up and running after the disappointment of not having a home game last Tuesday. Well done to Craig and the team for a professional performance and, of course, three points to get our league campaign underway.
It is not ideal to have just one home game in August. Having so many away fixtures come at a cost and impacts our cash flow. Like all clubs at our level, we rely on income from gate receipts, merchandise, and food and beverage sales to help cover wages and the many other costs involved in running the club.
However, we have plenty to look forward to. It is fantastic to see the new Len Shackleton Sports Bar, complete with live Sky Sports. All of this work has been carried out at no cost to the club, thanks to the support of a local sponsor. This new development will provide an additional revenue stream for the club and is another positive step forward.
We have been clear that our goal this season is promotion. However, our focus must be on taking each game as it comes. We know that every game will be a battle. It has certainly been an interesting first couple of weeks, with some unexpected results, and I am sure we will see plenty more of these over the coming weeks before the league begins to settle down.
We have built a great squad and have a very experienced manager in Craig. We are all hungry for success, but we must also be patient, as there will inevitably be plenty of ups and downs over the course of a long season. We must remember that every team will want to beat us, so we need to embrace that challenge and enjoy the journey.
To achieve our ambition, we must work hard, remain focused and, most importantly, stick together.
As Thomas has updated you all, we have some interested new investors, sponsors and potential new owners. Things are looking very positive, but this process will take some time. We want to make sure we find the right people to help take the club forward and build for the future.
I will be making a trip over to Bradford soon and look forward to seeing the recent improvements around the ground, having some key meetings and, of course, spending some time at the Horsfall Community Stadium.
Finally, good luck to Craig and the boys on Wednesday. Hopefully, they can build on Saturday’s result and come away with another positive result.
Up the Avenue!