Club news
On the 23rd January 2009 in a letter sent by the
Dean of Webster University’s Business School, Dr. Benjamin Ola Akande to
President Barack Obama, the immortal line “Hope is not a strategy” was used and
became synonymous when referring to the global financial crisis. In most circumstances I would agree, but
without disrespecting Dr. Akande I would suggest he has never been involved
with a Non-League football club.
The past six years of serving on the board of our great
football club, today owned by over 1,200 people across the world, has been a
privilege, one that has given me the opportunity to see just how difficult it
is running a football club and one where hope is often the only strategy we
have. We’ve made huge strides in so many
areas, some of which are just starting to bear fruit today but all of which I
am very proud of. We have dedicated
volunteers without whom we wouldn’t have a club, many going unnoticed and
unsung but playing as important a role as our players and management team. As an elected member of the board of Lewes
Community Football Club I am proud to wear my owners badge, talk to fellow football
fans about what we are doing as a football club and represent what we stand for
in the administrative circles of the game.
As one of the elected Directors of Lewes Community Football
Club I will freely admit and take responsibility for the fact we’ve got things
wrong in the past but in the process, we have learnt a lot both about ourselves
and the footballing world. And each time
we learn, that element of hope dissipates a little bit more. Running a Non-League club means approaching
every task with your eyes and ears open.
For the past three years I have dedicated time and resources
to the club as an elected official, working with my colleagues on all manner of
aspects. Whilst as a board we all take
responsibility for every aspect of the club, each of us has responsibility for
certain aspects of the club. My specific focus has been in four areas: –
1. To create a winning structure for our Men’s team
which deliver on the field success as well as off the field opportunities for
the club as a whole;
2. To drive the ownership campaign forward, with an
objective to make Lewes FC people’s favourite Non-League team and to continue
to administer our ownership programme, from the weekly communication to the
annual renewal process;
3. To be part of the team that launched our
Equality FC programme;
4. To create a long-term strategy for the club that
encapsulates everything we do and outlines how we will grow every aspect of the
club;
I am standing for re-election because I want to continue to
deliver on all of the above objectives and am asking for your support to give
me that opportunity.
When I joined the board in 2011 we were in our first season
back in the Isthmian Premier League under Steve King. The next few years saw us slowly sinking with
a string of poor performances on the pitch and despite some brief glimmers of
hope, until 2016 there was very little to shout about.
Today, the situation couldn’t be further from the
truth. We’ve built a management team and
a squad of players who want to win for the club, the fans and every owner. My working relationship with the Football
Management Team is built on mutual respect, insight and above all preparation
for every game we play. When Lewes
aren’t playing I will go to watch games in and around our division, looking at
future opponents and potential players. We are on the verge of something
special and I believe that alongside my fellow directors, we have the skills and
motivation to deliver success once again to the club. This is very much a work in progress but one
that runs through the whole club whether that be our Academy or First Team, Men’s
or Women’s sides.
Through my membership of the Isthmian League and Supporters
Direct Board of Directors as well as involvement within the National Leagues
Working Group at the FA, I am in a position to push the Lewes FC story and our
achievements at a high level within English football, giving the club a voice
where we need it most. Should I be
re-elected then I will be able to continue to influence the powers that be
where necessary in these roles.
We have consistently grown our ownership during the past six
years and now have over 1,200 owners across the world. Whilst I will continue to push ownerships
into every corner of the globe, it is at the heart of the community that the
real work needs to happen and should I be re-elected then re-connecting with
local people and local businesses will be a priority. I want to see more of the towns folk coming
to games at The Dripping Pan, talking about the club in a positive light and
re-engaging with local businesses who are welcomed with open arms at the club.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to develop our
long-term strategy and share it with everyone involved in the football
club. A strategy that defines how all of
our teams should be developing on and off the pitch, a strategy that outlines
what role we should be playing in the community at large, a strategy that sets
very clear goals for our Academy and a strategy that clearly details a route to
financial sustainability. I’m a firm believer in our EqualityFC programme and
continue to work behind the scenes on delivering a sustainable financial model
that allows for budget parity today and in the future, whatever that may look
like.
My own personal values mean I always try to be open, honest
and accountable. I’ve never shied away from answering questions, comments or
concerns from any fan. In fact, I
consider myself a fan first, an elected director second. Should I be re-elected then I will treat the
role with continued respect, transparency and above all, accountability. Doing
the right thing, for the right reason at the right time.
To finish I’d like to paraphrase Dr. Akande’s paragraph from
his letter to President Obama.
“Hope will not get any of our teams promoted this
season. Hope does not ensure that our
facilities are maintained. Hope does not
market the Lewes Football Club story far and wide. Hope will not get us to a sustainable
financial position.”
Hope may sometimes be the only realistic strategy but as an
elected director of this fantastic football club my aim is to ensure that we do
not need to rely on hope or luck to achieve our goals and objectives not only
for the next three years, should I be elected, but for the foreseeable future.