Christmas is a time for family and friends, so before you get stuck into your family festivities I would just like to look back on yet another year of progress for the club.

Off the field, we now have two club house rooms. The smaller room is well used with activities such as Judo, Ju-Jitsu and a male choir amongst others. We have also seen further changes with the fantastic training facility at the front of the Stadium which is an integral part of moving the club forward, as we look to increase revenue streams from the non-football business side of the club. Of course we have a thriving pre-school nursery on site and now a dry cleaning/launderette.

The fabric of the stadium is improving and it is hard to believe that just a few years back the ground would have been better off being demolished. We will continue to improve the ground on a structured programme which will continue apace into the New Year and beyond.

I was delighted with our new committee members, Kevin Walsh, Ryan Goode and Adam Elswood and our new partners, March 4th. Kevin has brought an order to the clubs meetings and secretarial necessities. Ryan and Adam, as well as the day to day running of the club, have brought a new energy to the committee. March 4th, alongside Ryan in particular, have helped to enhance our community and social networking coverage. I know they will be a massive factor in helping me and my fellow committee take this club forward and develop it into something that the whole of the town can be proud of. I would like to thank all of the committee and staff who have made this year so successful.
We will be adding to the committee in January and we look forward to introducing them in the New Year.

On the field, we are going from strength to strength as Scott and his team continue steadily to further develop his proven policy of bringing in quality players whilst improving our league status and deepening the strength of our squad. Yet again we enter a New Year with growing optimism. We are currently holding a challenging position and the standard of football at the Church Farm Brewery Townsend Meadow ground is higher now than in a very long time, and, I am sure, for good chunks of our rapidly approaching 100 year history. Next year see’s our centenary and we will start to engage fans, members and local people to ensure that when next August comes we have a whole season of activity to mark this fantastic achievement.

However, this is no time for complacency. Everybody at the club knows the time, money and effort that goes into what we want to achieve and I will never rest on my laurels or allow anyone associated at the club to either.

This season has seen us move into the world of academy football. For a few years we have investigated how best to achieve this aim and the model we decided on, coincided with our now academy partner, Future Pro, looking for the right model themselves, as they parted way with Stratford Town. What a fantastic opportunity we can now offer our local people. A great education and learning real life skills, alongside playing football with a view to playing professionally, playing as high up the pyramid as possible in the semi professional game, or gaining a sports certification to assist with future employment at the very least. And, what a start the teams have made. All three academy sides have topped their respective league tables and a fair few lads have had trials with professional clubs.

The academy will also help us to provide elite coaching sessions and football holiday clubs that will really be a plus for the local community. Warwick District will produce more and more Ben Foster’s in the future I have absolutely no doubt.

For me, Racing is a family and unique club that places family values highly. We are not the biggest spenders, not just because we are thrifty, but we always like to take care in case ‘that rainy day’ ever comes back. Everything we do is carefully considered and sustainable and for the good of the club and it’s members.

I have always been of the opinion that the players that come to us do so because they believe in ours and Scott’s philosophy and they know that their career prospects will improve along with enjoying their time with us immensely. I also like to think that they love the club. There seems to be a genuine and open interaction between players and fans and long may it continue.

As a supporter, you can be justifiably proud of the team. Together we have got this club moving, let us keep the momentum going. Never has the time been better to be involved.

Tell your friends, tell your family, tell your mates who support the professional teams, tell anyone that will listen to you. Tell them that the time is now and the place is Townsend Meadow!

Have a good Christmas. See you all soon,

Gary Vella
Chairman and supporter of RCWFC