I would like to start by thanking our Chairman, John McGinty, for the invitation to take on the role of Vice Chairman which I was honoured to accept. As a brief introduction to those who perhaps don't know me, I am married to Yvonne with three children Matthew, James and Rebecca. James currently plays for our u16 team managed by Russ Wilkinson.
I am a Director within the BNP Paribas Group , now one of the world's top five safest Banks, due I am pleased to say to its non involvement in the so-called sub prime lending and high bonus fiasco of recent times. As a result of its very conservative approach it has remained largely unscathed from the financial crisis and I am pleased to say that it is not sitting on any tax-payers money. Given the press I felt I ought to clarify this as UK Bankers are about as popular as lawyers and estate agents these days, no offence to either profession.
Football is my passion, and specifically that of Youth Football. Its importance professionally, socially and in the community as a whole cannot be underestimated. Aldershot Town FC is in my blood and I want to do everything I can to help continue to make it a thriving Football League Club.
My initial Principal aims for the Club are:
1.We must ensure the financial stability and prosperity of the Club, which will allow the first team manager the funds to keep a competitive team on the field in order to keep us in the Football League. We owe a lot of thanks to people like John McGinty, John Leppard, Kris Machala and Leighton Moat who have all made considerable sums of money available to the Club in order for us to build a platform for our progression. I will continue to actively seek out, quantify and introduce new investment into the Club by way of personal investment or sponsorship. At this point I would like to take the opportunity to thank EBB and Tim Elliott for their continued invaluable support as our main sponsor again for this season.
2.We must work hard to ensure that for the long term we continue to retain the services of our football management team of Gary Waddock and Martin Kuhl who I know work tirelessly in order to get the very best out of all our players and who have the knowledge, talent and vision to consolidate our position in the Football League and then progressively build upon our success.
3.We must build a strong and unified management team off the field as well as on it. We cannot reach the success we all strive for without this. This team needs to be built primarily from our employed staff who can give the necessary tasks the focus and commitment they need. That is why I was very keen back in May to get Richard Petty on board as our general manager and as a director on the Operations Board, he is now moving the Club in the right direction with the support of Nicky Banger, Doug Wilson and Graham Hortop. My role will be to help these committed employees and fans of the Club get matters right off the field.
4.We must build better two-way communication with our supporters. I will be looking to Tony Brooker and Keith Able as the Supporters Club representatives on the Operations Board to help facilitate this. The Club is nothing without Supporters! One thing Richard and I will do almost immediately is to hold regular 'supporter evenings' with a small groups of supporters with a view to gauge their opinion, ideas and of course their help in order to achieve good works for our Club. You know the Club as well as anyone and your feedback and input is vital.
5.We must continue to expand our Centre of Excellence and strive towards developing the young talent that may help us both financially off the field and in addition to that of course on the field as well. It has already given me great pleasure to see so many Youth players turn out for the first team with Reece Connelly being of particular mention. The CoE allows us to retain the signature of young talented players who can either break through into our own professional ranks or that of other Clubs, but in the latter case subject to compensation /transfer fee payable to ourselves. It is one of the major joys of football to see a young apprentice/scholar realise his dream.
I hope that gives some insight into my initial thoughts, I for one am extremely excited about the future of Aldershot Town Football Club
Up The Shots!
Tony