We have not had anything of significance to report for a couple of weeks but there was encouraging news out of Government last weekend with the announcement that the maximum size of coaching sessions could be increased from 6 person to 30 with immediate effect and that 11 v 11 matches would be allowed from 1st August. Government also announced that non-League football could re-commence but, of course, we still do not have permission to have crowds inside stadia so no date can yet be set for the start of the new National League season.
We were delighted to be able to confirm last week that a number of last season's squad have signed new contracts, targets that Matt gave to Bruce and AB before lockdown in the hope and expectation that there would eventually be some light at the end of the tunnel.
We are expecting to see some of our regular clients return to The Lane for their regular meetings over the next few weeks, although for the time-being they will of course be operating under very different conditions and with greatly reduced room capacities. The kitchen and bar though, remain closed. We do, however, plan to continue with our bottle bar on Friday evenings. This has already proved very popular and works excellently in conjunction with our now well-established fish and chip stall. Adrian will also be there with his famous season ticket table.
The directors continue to explore ways to bring in additional income ahead of what is expected to be a very challenging season. One area with potential to develop further is specific sponsorships, we have identified some targets but if any supporters work for or know of companies that might be interested in developing a partnership with us then please do contact us by email: dave.farebrother@suttonunited.net
We have to give another mention to Marvin, Ricky and Mark for their ongoing work with our Academy. After a successful 2019/20 season off and on the pitch, where they guided our academy team to become divisional champions, they have made good use of the difficult lockdown conditions to not only successfully complete the academic year but also introduce a new girls' section and bring a new satellite facility under our wing. Our academy has grown year on year and has become a vital part of the club's infrastructure.
Finally, we'd like to give a big shout-out to the two Johns, Parker and Lowe, for repairing and decorating the temporary changing rooms.