Club Update

To All Managers / Coaches / Players / Parents / Supporters

The Southam United Committee fully understands the gravity of the crisis the world is currently facing, and realise that for many the thought of football is the furthest things from their minds. However, we are keen to remain positive and look forward as much as we can to a time when life and football can start to return to some normality.

With this in mind, there are numerous actions we are taking behind the scenes, but including:

Tournament - With the 2019/20 season officially ended, our planned summer tournament has been cancelled. The teams that have already entered will be given the option of claiming a refund of their entry fees or carrying over their entry to next year.

Presentation Evening - being kept under review as to whether or not it will be appropriate to hold an event this summer, later in the year and / or present trophies to individual players by other means.

Club Membership & Training Fees - some parents / players had not paid the final instalment(s) of these fees prior to the suspension of football. Although this has caused the Club some additional cash flow issues, we do not consider it appropriate to chase them for payment at this time. However, as a token of our appreciation to those who have fully paid, we shall be offering them a discount of £25 off next season’s fees. These will themselves be discussed at the next Managers / Coaches Meeting with a clear statement of what is and what is not included as part of these.

Academy - the current first year students have been working towards their qualifications via online means for the past several weeks. In conjunction with our education provider, we will be actively recruiting for the 2020 intake over the coming weeks and hope to have sufficient numbers to make this even more worthwhile.

Current Finances - like many grassroots football clubs up and down the country, Southam United has limited resources of it’s own and experiences cash flow difficulties from time to time. However, the Club is in the process of clearing in full any outstanding creditors. A summary of the Club’s cash inflows and outflows during the current financial year, can be found by clicking here.

Fun Challenges & Skill Activities - in order to help keep players (and their parents) active during lockdown, we will be posting several fun challenges and skill activities on our social media channels and encourage your participation with these.

Facilities Development - the stadium pitch at Bobby Hancocks Park (“BHP”) will be ready for the start of the 2020/21 season, whenever that may be. Subject to actual receipt of the grant finance referred to below, it is our intention to complete the fit out of the first floor and some ancillary works at BHP as soon as practicable once suitable contractors are once again open to new contracts. Provided we receive satisfactory written confirmation from HS2 Limited on a complicated land use issue, we then intend to install an artificial enhanced 3G pitch at BHP at the first practical opportunity. Thereafter, we will proceed with the extension to the Hub building at BHP permitted under our existing planning permission. After that, and subject to a new planning application being granted, we intend to have new junior pitches located just south of the existing ones plus increased provision at BHP. Privately sourced grant finance (i.e. non repayable) has been arranged by the Chairman to pay for all of the above.

Plans For Season 2020/21 - we do not know when the new season will commence but, when it does, currently intend to run the following teams, subject to further discussions with the relevant managers: Men’s (playing at as high a level as possible within the National League System), Women’s, Academy, Girls x 4, Boys / Mixed from Under 7’s to Under 16’s with 2 teams at some of the age groups. We will continue with our successful Mini Soccer School and our Wildcats Centre and explore the possibilities of establishing a Toddler Football programme for 2 - 4 year olds. In addition, we will look to expand on our primary school PE lesson / after school club activities.

Club Structure, Etc. - please see following links where we set out in plain terms and in Q&A format aspects of the club structure, finances, land ownership, etc. and which we hope clarifies any concerns any of you might have.  Q&A click here  Land Ownership Click here

Break In at Banbury Road - at some point over recent days the junior clubhouse was broken into with damage caused to the doors / locks. Fortunately, there was no internal damage and nothing appears to have been taken (primarily as nothing of any value is stored there). There have also been reports of groups of youths congregating on the junior ground contrary to the current government restrictions. We have no way of knowing if Club members were involved in any of this but would ask that you all remain vigilant and remind your young people of the lockdown restrictions.

Managers / Coaches Meeting - we will be arranging a virtual meeting for Monday 11th May. Further details to be circulated in due course.

 

We look forward to seeing you all as soon as it is safe to do so.

 

Southam United FC Committee

28 April 2020

News // 204 weeks ago