Our chief executive, Jason Turner, has given his thoughts on yesterday’s postponement and provided an update on a number of club issues.
I’d like to begin by empathising with our supporters who booked time off work and made the journey to last night’s match at AFC Fylde only for the fixture to be postponed at late notice.
I, like many of you, had arrived in Fylde before the decision was made and, having seen the pitch myself, I don’t understand why this decision could not have been made earlier in the day.
What’s more, the first we heard of the 5.30pm pitch inspection – and the subsequent confirmation that the match had been postponed – was via Fylde’s Twitter account, which gave us little opportunity to notify you of the latest developments.
I have expressed my frustrations to the National League today over what I believe was an entirely avoidable sequence of events, and we await their response.
Since returning to the role of Chief Executive in the summer, having become Football Operations Director under the previous ownership, I have to say it’s been a hugely positive – and busy – time at Meadow Lane.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working closely alongside our new owners, Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz, who I’m sure you’ll agree have made an excellent start to their time at the helm, and I’m very excited about what the future holds for the club.
I should say a huge thank you to you, our supporters, for the tremendous backing you’ve given the team this season. Despite everything we’ve been through and some tough runs on the pitch in the early part of the season, we boast by far the highest average attendance in the league. Your loyalty does not go unnoticed and I’m delighted you’ve been rewarded with such a terrific run of results.
I was also ecstatic for Neal Ardley after his brilliant work was recognised with December’s Manager of the Month award. While our form on the field made him an obvious choice for the accolade, I see first-hand the effort he, Neil Cox and the entire backroom staff put in behind the scenes and I can assure you it’s richly deserved!
Well done, also, to our skipper Michael Doyle for firing us into the third round of the Buildbase FA Trophy in such sensational style. I’ve worked in football for 25 years but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better goal live! It was brilliant to see his effort receive more than half-a-million views across our social media channels over the weekend, with supporters of Michael’s former clubs all congratulating him on a magnificent strike.
We face a very difficult trip to Yeovil Town in the next round but, the way Neal and our entire squad are going, I see no reason why we can’t take another step towards Wembley!
Here’s an update on some of the other big things happening at the club…
As I’m sure you’ll be well aware by now, two new scoreboards are to be installed on the Air-IT Kop and Haydn Green Family stands later this month.
Plans are progressing smoothly, with the old scoreboard now removed allowing for contractors to begin work on the frames which will hold the new screens. A big thank you to the Notts County Supporters’ Club, who’ve covered the costs of the plant hire to allow for these essential works to take place.
All being well, both scoreboards should be in place and fully operational in time for the Chesterfield match on 1 February.
Not only will they greatly improve the matchday experience at Meadow Lane, they’ll also help us generate extra revenue through advertising and help us communicate key messages to you.
As you know, the screens were paid for by the amazing fundraising efforts of our Official Supporters Association and Lifeline, whose continued backing is hugely appreciated.
Keep an eye on our digital channels for further updates!
I hope you’ll agree that it’s great news we’ve reached an agreement with PUMA which will see them continue to provide us with our match, training and replica kit for the foreseeable future.
They’ve been brilliant to work with since our partnership began in 2017-18 and, crucially, they offer us the chance to create our own bespoke kits, rather than us having to choose from ‘off-the-shelf’ options which may also be used by other clubs.
From a commercial perspective they’re an excellent fit for us and the quality of their products is superb, too.
Our owners and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of selecting next season’s kits and we look forward to sharing the designs with you in the summer.
It was certainly a huge weight off my shoulders when Kyle signed on the dotted line last week, bringing to an end a lengthy period of negotiations.
You always feel a little pressure when you’re trying to get a deal like this done – especially once the news reaches the public domain – but deep down we were always confident that Kyle felt this was the best place for him to further his career.
It was great to see such a huge wave of positivity after we announced the good news and we’re looking forward to seeing Kyle kick on now his long-term future is decided.
I’d like to express my gratitude to Scunthorpe United for their assistance throughout the process.
Last week we remembered the late, great Jack Wheeler on the anniversary of his passing by reverting the ‘Carlsberg Club’ to the ‘Wheeler Suite’ with immediate effect.
This followed the news from earlier in the season when Club 155 was returned to the 1862 Suite.
At our monthly board meetings, I discuss with our owners a range of topics concerning the club’s heritage and we’re committed to doing all we can to honour our great history.
There’s still time for those of you without a (half) season ticket to purchase an eight-game ticket bundle.
Not only will your preferred seat be guaranteed for each of our final home matches, you’ll also benefit from priority purchase periods for in-demand matches – which could come in very handy should we reach the play-offs and the latter stages of the Trophy.
You’ll save up to £4.50 a game (based on an adult matchday price), so if you’re not planning on missing a kick between now and the end of the season it’s a no-brainer!
Click here for more information.