There is nothing like a good debate about kit

On Tuesday evening we had the football club AGM. We had a very good turnout and covered much ground as we tried to set out the many things of what is going on at the Club.

Yet unless I’ve missed something the only subject (literally the only subject) to get an airing on the WFC Forum is the potential orange away kit that we displayed.

If I know anything about kit it is that if you show three people a new kit you get three different views. The feedback we got on Tuesday was helpful and informative. We haven’t made a final decision so I cannot say whether or not we will definitely go orange.

No doubt some will criticise us for sharing the kit samples at all but it’s better to be open as a rule and get some opinions.

However, listening to the debate and reading the comments there are some myths around this subject. Let’s remember the replica kit that most of our people buy is the home kit – the yellow kit has not been a big seller though it is quite popular, and the Argentina kit is proving popular with the Junior club as they purchase some second kits.  The decision on which 2nd or 3rd kit we have is not made with replica sales as a main determinant.

I also remember that when we launched the blue kit we copped plenty of criticism about getting rid of the quarters yet this blue kit has undoubtedly been very popular.

Anyway we have some time yet and we will consider the best decision for the Club and then let everyone know.

We gave it everything

By the time you get to penalties you know someone has to lose. This time it was us. Seeing Ashey haul his exhausted frame towards the penalty area didn’t fill me with much confidence. The trouble is that when you get to that point of a match you want the players who say they are up for it to take the penalties and we didn’t have too many.

The referee was poor – no question. To my mind he didn’t seem even handed, was inconsistent and harsh. Make no mistake it cost us as our players, like Ashey had to work extra hard to cover for Kieron and Jimmy. That would have played a part in the tiredness so apparent in the penalty shoot out.

But we lost, we ended up with nothing – except pride in a great effort and fantastic support.

The season is far from dead and it can easily turn this Saturday against Maidstone, depending on who is still standing of course.

One good bit of news on the playing front is that we have convinced Callum to sign a contract which commits him to the Club for the rest of this season and all of next. It’s only a month or so ago that Callum was struggling to get through 90 minutes. This week he has played 2 1/2 games. With a summer getting stronger and fitter and full pre-season I hope we will see a top striker next season.

Got to bounce back

It’s a hard game football.

A good comeback and then to give the ball away in injury time in such a fashion and hand Tooting the win. I felt we handed them all three goals tonight, so the result was hard to take.

But take it we must, and we need to bounce back, starting in the League Cup Final on Wednesday night.

And don’t anyone think we are out of the play-offs yet, though many more losses and we soon will be.

Tomorrow night is the AGM. It is important and it is your chance to hear what is happening, to ask questions and to have your say. Please try and get there.

A busy week ahead

Tomorrow we are at Tooting and on Wednesday we have the Cup Final.

On Tuesday evening we are holding the AGM at Ruislip. I hope that despite the fixtures plenty of people will get to Ruislip on Tuesday.

We will have news about all aspects of the Club including the latest on the freehold situation and the launch of a new fundraising scheme.

There is, as always, masses going on at the Club, please do your best to come along and hear about it.

Getting to a Cup Final

With all due respect to Championship Manager and the Ryman League, we have done everything possible to get knocked out of the League Cup this season – especially as our fixtures have mounted up. We even lost at Tonbridge but got reinstated but our squad players have performed excellently to beat Sittingbourne and Croydon Athletic over the past fortnight.

So now, happily, we are in the Final at Met Police next Wednesday and let’s hope we can now enjoy a memorable night against Leatherhead.

It has been nearly 30 years since we won the Southern League Cup and clearly we have a great chance against Division One opponents. That said given the demands on our squad are at present (we are at Tooting tomorrow night) this will not be an easy game and remember Tilbury beat Harrow in the final last season.

Hopefully we will have lots of supporters there (all those who turn out just for the Final) and enjoy a great night and don’t forget to sign up for the Supporters Club coach to help you get there.

Friends in high places

I spent most of last week at Cheltenham enjoying my annual trip to the Festival.

One of the most memorable moments was to meet up with Wealdstone fan Rob Nothman and watch the first race on Thursday from the BBC Radio commentary box 5 floors up and the best view on the course. I had a good chat as well with Five 5 live commentator John Hunt, who lives in Bushey.

As I was talking to Rob, John walked out onto the balcony and shouted out “WEALDSTONE” which was very funny. Watching him give the commentary on the first race was seeing a master in action. We will have to get him to a game sometime soon.

Rob will be hosting Gordon Bartlett’s dinner on 21 April and I look forward to seeing him there.

Club General Meeting next Tuesday

With so many games to fit in it has been difficult to find a date for this year’s Club General Meeting but we are holding it at Ruislip next Tuesday, 23rd starting at 7.30ish.

I know many of you might feel that with three games a week it is difficult to come to a meeting but if you can that would be great as it is your opportunity to ask questions and find out what is happening at the Club.

As well as the usual fare, we will have some positive news of developments with our Freeholders and we will also be unveiling the club’s new kit for 2010/11. I am also asking members of the board to stand up and give you a short 60 second summary of their roles and what they are going to do as we look to build accountability and transparency at the Club.

Hope to see many of you there.

We’ve all got a role to play

The performances against Cray and Hastings last week and Kingstonian on Saturday (I wasn’t at Sittingbourne) were noticeable for not only a transformation in our performances on the pitch but also off the pitch as well.

Credit where it is due and just as the players have raised their game so have the fans. The question is can we all keep it going until the end of the season.

I thought th

Players and their promises

I always enjoy hearing the excuses players give you when they don’t sign.

We’ve spoken to a few players recently at other clubs – all done properly and above board – yet none of them have come. Usually the same old story – money, or apparent lack of it.

One player in particular made me smile or wince or frown or whatever this weekend. I won’t name him but see if you can work it out.

We went after a striker at a club not a million miles from us. The player was highly sort after and there was a transfer fee that would be required, which with the generous support from the Supporters Club we met and duly agreed with his then club.

Gordon spent a considerable amount of time trying to sell Wealdstone to the player, I also spoke to him. He came to Ruislip for a meeting and was always very courteous and polite.

But he was never going to come – he wanted to play at a higher level and to be honest we didn’t even get as far as discussing wages. We knew he spoke to a Blue Square South side and then a Blue Square Premier side.  He played for Carshalton Athletic in the Ryman Premier on Saturday in their 0-0 draw against Hendon.

How does that work? So much for wanting to play at a higher league, in fact he’s gone into a relegation battle at a Club on its third manager of the season and in the bottom 4. And we were not even given the chance to compete on wages – not that we would have done of course.

Fortunately not all players are like that, but it can drive you mad.