AFC Totton
Welcome back to the Testwood Stadium for our first game of the season 2014/15. A special welcome to all Yate Town Players, Management, Officials and supporters. I hope you enjoy our hospitality and have a safe journey home.
It has been a long hot summer with no football but plenty has gone on behind the scenes at the club. The club have now concluded its negotiations over the sale of the ground and all legal work has been completed. We have now addressed 90% of our debt and are in discussions with the couple of outstanding creditors we have to make final payments too, which will then rid the club of the crippling debt that it has been suffering over the last couple of seasons. This can only be good news for AFC Totton and its future.
The Ground is now owned by AFC Totton Leisure Ltd. The company has two directors, Peter Harding and Steve Brookwell. AFC Totton itself continues to be a members club and rents the Testwood Stadium from AFC Totton Leisure Ltd. There has been no change in management structure of the football club. Both Peter and Steve want to see AFC Totton move forward and are helping the Executive in any way they can to make sure this happens.
We have had discussions with numerous prospective sponsors and will continue this work as it is a vital source of income for the club. As soon as announcements can be made on this we will make them via our website and through the local media.
We have also set up an Executive Club which will work out of our Executive Box in the main stand on match days, this will be run by Woggy Taylor, former Kit Man at Southampton FC who hopes to bring along with him ex-Saints players as the season progresses.
The Annual General Meeting has been called for Monday 1st September 2014 and all supporters are encouraged to take out membership of the club. Only fully paid up members of the club will be able to attend the AGM and vote.
Steve Riley, Chris Ferrett and Steve Hollick have all signed up for another season as the First Team Management. They have been working hard with the squad in pre-season training and have also been working hard in bringing in some new players. Although the squad is built around last season’s squad we have added midfielder Kyle O’Brien from the USA, striker Craig Feeney from Blackfield & Langley, full-back Jamie Blackburn from Brockenhurst, midfielder Jamie Bulpitt from Eastleigh and ex-Eastleigh and Bashley forward Joe Maxwell, among others.
Obviously, it was extremely disappointing to have to cancel three scheduled home pre-season friendlies but with the pump on our irrigation system having a fatal breakdown the pitch was just unplayable. The ground staff have been working hard since we replaced the pump to make sure today’s game could go ahead.
Although this is our first home game, the season kicked off last Saturday when we visited Clevedon Town. The large travelling support were more than happy to see a great performance by the team and three points gained through the 2-0 victory. On Tuesday evening we visited Wantage Town and after a very hard fought game, again came away the three points after winning 2-1, this was despite our going behind to an early first half goal.
So we have got off to a great start to the season on the pitch and we no longer have creditors screaming at the door for money. This has to be a season that we can all look forward to.
COYS
Andy Straker
