Message from the Chairman

It was a great result away at Hemel and at Bedford, and Banbury at home, not just in the fact that we won, but the style in which we won.  Every player played his part and we turned out very credible wins.  This means we are positioned precariously close to the relegation zone but equally close to the play-offs.  It just shows the margin between success and failure is so tight in this league and it is essential to keep our good run going.

Graham and his back room staff have worked very hard over the last six weeks to bring in players like, Jimmy Deabill, James Travis, Joel Grandison, Jake Jones and Tom Berwick.  We have kept the nucleus of our squad and with consistency hopefully there are further results just around the corner, this has to be maintained.

Sallie and I took over the Club nine months ago and we approached the first year with I think some great achievements which would not have been possible without the support of a hard core of fans who volunteer and come to watch the matches, both home and away.  The fact of the matter remains however:

1. Players wages are three times the amount we take through the turnstiles per year.
2. There has been a massive increase in fixed costs such as fuel, where electricity for example has risen by an amount equivalent to 80 pence per supporter per game.  There have been correspondingly high increases in other areas such as oil, water etc.
3. There has been a major investment clearing off old debts and investing in the capital and infrastructure of the Club, meaning Redditch United is debt free with cash in the bank.
4. Whilst we are doing well off the field in areas such as functions, football in the community and corporate, the money we make in these areas only just subsidises the money we lose on investing in our football team.

We now need to decide how we want our Club to grow in the future.  Personally I look at an area like Blackburn which have a catchment area the same size as Redditch and like us distractions of premier leagues clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool and it makes me believe this Club is capable of conference football.  However, as I said right at the beginning this will be a Club that is built on a sustainable basis and it will be the hub of the community and I will not allow anything to happen that risks the Club’s current strong capital structure.

As I say, we can all support this football Club in many ways, not just through the turnstiles but by volunteering and attending functions held at The Valley which are promoted on the fans forum, facebook, twitter, Club website or advertised in the local paper.  We have only had two functions generated from our fan base in the function room in the last nine months and I am sure every one of our supporters or parents of kids who play for our teams have either birthdays or special anniversaries which can all be held  in our function room.

The Club does not want hand-outs, but needs all of us to support it through the function room events or the many other activities that are held at The Valley.  This is going to be essential if we are to continue investing in the players and facilities as we are.

I must add everybody at this Club that I have met is fully committed to the Club and its objectives and ideals.  As we approach the New Year with the opportunities the Club will have to invest in its playing squad further I make this appeal for all of us to support the Club through the turnstiles but take the opportunity to also support its off-field activities.

We have an amazing opportunity but it is up to the people and supporters of Redditch in deciding how far they want this Club to go or what league they want it to sit in.  I wish you and your family a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.  I hope that you will be able to join us on Boxing Day which promises to be a closely fought home derby.  Join us on cheering on the REDS to a home victory!