2022/23 End Of Season Message

Thank You

Firstly, my thanks must go to the managers and coaches. There really aren’t enough word to pay tribute to each and every one of them. Without their hard work and dedication to every player, we simply wouldn’t exist.

Our coaches pay a pivotal role in these young player’s lives, they don’t just teach them football, they teach them life lessons. In years to come when the players are adults and maybe have children of their own, they won’t remember the wins or losses, but they will remember the coach who coached them. The coach who put their arm around them, maybe wiped away a tear or two, the coach who was ready with some words of encouragement. The coach who was the first person to jump in the air when a goal was scored or a save was made. The coach who simply said well done.

To our coaches and managers, I say thank you and well done, you are truly remarkable people.

My second thank you, must be for the FC Abbey Meads committee and their families. The ladies and gentlemen who sit on the committee with me put so much time and effort into running this wonderful club of ours. Quite often they are spending time away from their families, organising the season, helping teams, opening up venues, rearranging fixtures, ordering kit, the list really does go on and on.

I have to add a personal note and a huge thank you to my own family, Nick and Cody, for putting up with me constantly on the phone or glued to my laptop because a team or player needs my help. Thank you for not complaining about the vast number of burnt dinners this season. I promise to turn the oven down when the phone rings from now on!

To our sponsors, we’ve had a record number of companies kindly offering their support to our club. During a cost of living crisis which has affected these companies and individuals, they have stepped up and continued to support our teams. Many of our sponsors are local businesses or family members of the players and without them we could not supply the players with the important equipment they need. Whether this is football kits, training balls, goals, the list goes on. Our teams have never looked so smart on the pitch, so a massive thank you.

To our supporters, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, younger siblings. Wow, what can I say! You turn up week after week, come rain or shine. I can’t tell you what it means to a child to have you around on match days, clapping and cheering as the players play. To us adults those muddy fields are just a muddy field, but to a child it’s their Wembley, thank you for making their match days the best experience not only for our team but for our opposition teams team. Thank you also for helping our coaches with goals, corner flags, respect lines and even putting yourself forward to referee or run the line in matches.

My final thank you is to our players, you amaze me every week. You go out week after week with huge smiles on your faces. You listen intently to your coaches, you try new skills. The result of the match may not go the way you wanted. However, you come back week after week and try again.