Chairman’s Update: Latest Progress at Beveree Stadium and New Appointments
The Club is delighted to announce we are making substantial progress on “Phase One” renovation plans initially focussed on first, academy and youth teams.
Below is a press release detailing the changes, but chairman Ben Hudson discussed all of them with the club after our friendly versus Carshalton which can be found here!
Stadium Renovations
Beveree Stadium renovations continue to move along at a good pace as installation of our new durable Edel Hybridblade 3G pitch nears completion. Following substantial earthworks, drainage, pitch foundation and leveling through the end of this week, we are looking forward to seeing the finished product by the end of July, subject to inclement weather.
The main stadium topsoil and sprinkler system have been moved to “Top Pitch” where we are seeking to create a quality natural grass surface for training purposes.
New walkways, fencing, expanded concourses, an upgraded car park and a family zone require a further two weeks before we can unveil the much-improved home of your Hampton & Richmond Borough.
A more precise re-opening date is forthcoming later in July. Until then, Beveree Stadium is restricted to High-Visibility vest-wearing labour and staff.
Beginning this season, Beveree Stadium’s pitch will be able to accommodate matches and training sessions for the first team as well as additional training sessions and matches for youth teams and other local groups, further solidifying the Bev as the home for all things HRBFC.
Based on Friday's fixture list, we will host our first home match of the season on Saturday August 22nd when we welcome Slough Town.
New Appointments
Successfully running the club with expanded ambitions both on and off the pitch requires a lot of thoughtful planning, hard work by full-time, experienced professionals. Accordingly, we are pleased to announce two senior management appointments.
The Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Monks as Managing Director of Football & Business Development and Jason Valentine as Football Programmes Manager.
Joe has returned to his southeast roots after fifteen years’ experience working in league and non-league football for clubs such as Wolverhampton, Brentford, Stockport, Barnet, South Shields as well as the past three seasons at Hartlepool United FC where Joe was Head of Football Operations. His league football and commercial operating experience are well matched for planning and developing top-class Academy, youth teams and future community programmes at Beveree Stadium. Since the end of last season, Joe has introduced systems and is developing a long-term squad strategy to further support First Team Manager Alan Dowson, Assistant Manager Max Kretzschmar and Head Scout Tom Garcia. We believe Dowse’s squad will be both competitive and entertaining this season.
Jason’s background is a mix of hospitality and football for the past twenty-five years. As Venues Manager for Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, Jason has delivered a consumer-centric experience across many culture and entertainment mediums. He further served the Letchworth & North Hertfordshire area by organising the development of academy, youth, volunteer and disability football programmes. On the pitch, Jason has played a vital role in streamlining the pathway from youth to senior football, entering his previous club into the FA Youth Cup for the first time. We also expect Jason to continue building partnerships across community, civic and inclusive networks to increase community engagement.
Please introduce yourselves to Joe and Jason at pre-season matches and give them a warm Hampton & Richmond Borough welcome upon our return to Beveree Stadium!
Up the Beavers!