As we start the new season, I thought it would be a good time to do a review of the close season and update everyone.

We would normally have had a fans forum by now but the men’s first team pre-season trip and training programme has meant that we have not found a suitable date to arrange one. We will do one before the half way stage of the season.

It has been a busy close season around the stadium. As most of you would have seen, we have new dugouts, a terrace stand instead of the closed-off seated stand area, and we are getting some new directors/sponsors seats installed over the next month. Lots of general maintenance and painting has been completed and we have removed the scaffolding tower as we use the video recording on tripod, this opens that side up a lot more. We have ordered a new bar and food outlet that will be set up in the away end. This will accommodate our segregated games better and mean that we can have all the normal clubhouse facilities for our fans. The close season pitch works have also gone very well and it is looking very good ahead of the start of the season. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to install a new scoreboard yet, finances meant that this was something that had to be delayed. It is a big investment which we have not been able to cover by a sponsorship deal yet but we will continue to work on this.

I am very happy with how the club is progressing in all areas as we make continual steps forward. Walking football continues to grow, the women’s section now has added 12’s, 14’s and 16’s to our 18’s and 1st team, the 1st team have been drawn at home in the FA Cup, so will get to play their first FA Cup game on the Optima Stadium pitch on 7th September, so please come down and support. The academy is starting this season with Gary (Warren) heading them up for the first season. The numbers and quality continue to improve and we are looking forward to seeing some academy players join the first team squad during the season. Our attendances continue to grow and we will be putting on regular pre-match entertainment and offers again this season. I am confident the football on the pitch will ensure that we keep attracting more fans to the ground. Because of all this, our sponsorship for all sections continues to move from strength to strength.

What all the above allows us to do is continue improving our first team squad. I am a firm believer that we have to keep moving forward at a steady stable pace. In football, this is not always the case and you see clubs spending beyond their means but this is a short-term approach with no planned long-term future. Although we have made some great additions to our squad, it is too early to gauge what others have done with their budgets. It does seem that there has been some heavy investment this year in our league but all we can do is focus on ourselves and continue to achieve beyond our budget, from well planned thorough recruitment and a stable club for everyone. Good luck to Scott and his team for the forthcoming season.

Lastly, I am sure you will all want an update on the development that has now been in planning with the local authority for just over four years, which is unbelievable really. All I can say is that for the past 6 months, I can see that progress is being made with the section 106 agreement between the club and council’s solicitors and I am very hopeful to have some good news to share in the next couple of months (I know I have been saying that for some time but it is out of my hands).

Let’s keep driving the Seagulls forward!