It has certainly been an eventful few days at the Club. The decision to relieve Keith Bird of his duties was not taken lightly by the Board but we felt that results and performances were simply not good enough. With no game scheduled for the 31st October 2015 we felt that the window of opportunity was now, thus giving the new Management Team a little bit longer to stamp their ethos on the Players. The appointment of Jason Bourne was a unanimous decision made by the Board. When I spoke to Jason to see if he was interested in stepping up from his current Assistant Managers role his reply was instant 'I want the job' I asked Jason to think it over, talk to Emma but I was very politely told that he had Emma's full support, he would tell her when he got home! We all know that Jason is Tunbridge Wells Football Club through and through, so his progression from player to captain to assistant manager tomanger shouldn't be a surprise to any of us. Jason is a winner, he is a natural leader, he has the respect of the changing room and impressed the Board when he was temporarily at the helm in August. I am sure if you cut Jason in half he would resemble a stick of rock with TWFC running right through the middle. Jason will be announcing some changes to the back room Team shortly and as is the case when any new manager is appointed please accept that the playing side of things will also change. Please join me in wishing Jason all the very best in his new role, I know that we have a young dynamic and driven manager on board!
Following John Milton's resignation we have decided to restructure the way that we deal with Hospitality at the Club. We have spent quite a lot of money refurbishing the Clubhouse in the past two and a bit years and we are now looking to generate a return from this investment by establishing the Culverden as the venue of choice for parties, club meetings, small conferences and possibly as a small music events venue. To help facilitate this change I have made two appointments, firstly I have appointed Colin Lucas as Bar Manager. During Colin's time in the RAF he was responsible for managing the Naffi bar so he is no stranger to the role that he has accepted. Wendy Maynard has agreed to look after bookings of the Clubhouse. We wish them success in their new roles. The Board are looking to Appoint a Director of Hospitality to drive forward the strategy for the Club House. We are also still looking for a Commercial Manager. Should you be interested in either role please do not hesitate to contact me. Chairman@twfcexec.com or 07731637860
Today, I have received confirmation of funding for the new floodlights from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The Council have been very generous to Club in providing the grant for the majority of the cost of the project. The existing pylons will remain but we will be replacing all of the actual lamps. The new lights will be far more environmentally friendly and will direct light to the pitch and as a result despite have a lux reading of nearly double the required level will actually produce less light pollution. Helen Tickner our Finance Director is also looking forward to their installation as the estimated cost of running the new lights is around a fifth of the current expenditure.
Rumours have been circulating around the possible relocation of the Football Club. As a result Scott Bartlett and I visited the Council Offices the week before last to see if the Council are any further forward with regard to this Project. The simple answer is no, but they are working on a strategy document that will look at the whole of the Football requirements of the Borough. We asked for a timescale and they are still looking at a five year plan. This means that we won't be embarking on any major projects now, we will move to protecting what we have rather than improving the ground. The stand is in need of repair so we will be looking to do some work in that area. We will also complete the cladding of the Clubhouse next summer. The changing rooms have long been an issue and we are looking at the possibility of Portacabins as a short term solution. So plenty more expense on the horizon, to help pay for this work we are looking to raise some money by holding a series of fund raisers. More news about these events soon.
The last thing I would like to talk about is the recent games with Beckenham Town. What happened during the cup game was simply not acceptable. The person responsible has now been identified and the situation has been dealt with. I will be writing to Beckenham to apologise accordingly. I will also be writing to them about what can only be described as their disgraceful behaviour during and after the League fixture. The rules with regard to coaching are quite simple it is carried out within the technical area alone. You are not allowed coaches on every corner of the ground! The dismissal of their number nine led to a series of events that I do not want to see repeated here at the Culverden. The language that was directed at one of our female fans was disgusting, this language was also used in front of other female supporters and children. What ever the frustration at the refereeing decision this behaviour cannot, in my opinion, go without some other censure and not just restricted to the one game ban that the player will receive for a second yellow card. Kicking over rubbish bins and our stewards having to restrain their manager from entering the Officials Changing Room are not things we want repeated. I would like to thank you all for keeping your heads whilst this was carrying on, your level headed behaviour did not aggravate an already difficult situation.
Clive Maynard
Chairman
Tunbridge Wells Football Club