I have to admit to being a little shocked and surprised by some of the recent comments from supporters and feel it necessary to put the record straight on some issues and update you on others.
I announced at the beginning of the year that we were on a pathway and nothing has changed in that respect, we will continue with our development programme.
We had some tensions within our coaching duo which required a readjustment in February, so we had to quickly find someone with experience who was prepared to do a short term job for us.Â
Kevin Nugent stepped up and despite results, has helped tremendously in supporting the development of our younger players who next season will play a big role in our squad.Â
He leaves with our best wishes.
Forgive me for not always being able to share all the goings on behind the scenes but that is the nature of the job. Not all decisions will be perfect for all individuals but this doesn’t mean there should be derision or insult.Â
Support is key and we will march forward, in step, together.
We all had hopes and dreams for promotion this season, none more so than I, but behind the scenes the constant recurring injuries to key players and management changes meant we could never field a settled team.Â
This, coupled with some unlucky results at key moments, ultimately cost us but we always knew we were taking a gamble this season.Â
The last few games have seen us experiment in a few areas as we shape the squad for next season.
I am still highly optimistic about our future. Our squad is good, young and strong, and we have been looking at management options for a couple of months now.Â
James Thorne has rejoined us and is shaping the structure to ensure we are more professional in our approach so we can maintain consistency regardless of management changes.Â
Importantly, our improved budget means we are able to be competitive for League 2, in playing and coaching personnel, which has never been the case before.Â
Expect a couple of strong signings this summer.
The club has changed tremendously in the last twenty years. We have progressed from a part time club in crisis with a semi professional set up, to being a yoyo club between the Leagues, through to being regarded as a stable Football League 2 club.Â
Today we stand as a fully fledged professional member of the EFL with the best facilities in our division and huge potential to move up through the League. We must do everything we can to be a top seven club next season, promotion is our holy grail.
You are a big part of this shared dream and we need you to be highly motivated, loud and proud.Â
When our players run out they have to feel your breath.
We need to get rid of the negativity and start to celebrate what we have.
The glass has to be half full and we have to learn to pick up our team when the going gets hard – you can make the difference.
To this end we are revisiting the pricing structure and reviewing other areas where we can improve the matchday experience to be the best it can be.Â
Expect to hear more on this in the coming days.
It’s a busy time and over the next few weeks we will be announcing our 2017/18 season pricing, a new Head Coach, category 2 Academy proposals, Stadium planning proposals and new player signings.Â
There is so much positive stuff going on and it really is a great time to be a Bee…….. Happy Easter.
Tony Kleanthous
Chairman
