Welcome to the Bev for the first game of 2024...
We're so excited to be entering into this new year with Mel, the team on and off the pitch, and most importantly, you the Hampton & Richmond community.
As Managing Director of this football club, I'm immensely proud of the work we've put in over the last twelve months, and couldn't be more excited about what the next twelve months has in store.
In 2023 we've brought on board an incredible football management team, led by Mel Gwinnett, and on the pitch we're currently 16 gams unbeaten - something many would have found hard to believe if I'd predicted it a year ago! We've signed some fantastic talent, who we believe can propel us to the next level, led by a wonderful captain who leads by example on and off the pitch.
We've moved to a new hybrid training model to get the best out of those players and we've spent extensively - and in my opinion, sensibly - on giving them the best playing environment we can. It's the middle of winter, and the work we've done to ensure we have the best playing surface possible is (so far!) paying dividends with only one fixture falling foul of the weather.
Our brand partnership with Movember was a huge success, with the club's players, staff, and supporters raising over £21,000 in November alone and we're still raising funds to support the charity's vital work in aid of men's mental health. What an achievement, and what a way to say who Hampton & Richmond FC are, and what we're about.
Our media network is hugely upgraded, with excellent internet and operational infrastructure underpinning that. We've brought on board top drawer football operations, hospitality and analytical staff - all of this puts us in a fantastic place to achieve our ambitions in 2024.
Lastly, and by no means least, our home attendances are up over 80% on last season, and I'm more proud of that than any of our other achievements. Our social media analytics tells us we've got new fans in the US and many other countries - but our eyes and ears tell us that we've got hundreds of new supporters right here, in Hampton and Richmond, and that's the bedrock of what will drive this team on to new levels as we enter 2024.
What does 2024 hold in store at the Bev? Well, I think the owners covered that well already and I'd encourage you to watch their interview if you haven't already, but to put it simply, more investment, more improvement and more success on the pitch.
So keep getting behind the boys, and we will keep doing everything we can to deliver the best football experience that we can.
Happy new year to you all. Up the Beavers.
Will King,
Managing Director