Newly Elected Undy AFC Club Chairman Interview with Jim Roberts

Jim – tell us a bit about your background?

Firstly I will apologise for not being a rich Hollywood star! I’ve been around the club for over a decade now, and like lots of people I got involved when my son started to play football in the under 6s I then moved from an enthusiastic parent to doing my Football leaders qualifications and helped coach for the next few years. I then had a period where I learnt how to use the mowers and look after the grass – which I must say was very peaceful I’ve now got a son playing in our senior section and my daughter playing in our under 16 girls As for me, I’m an engineer and work in the energy sector, and live in Magor with my wife, two children and the dog

What made you want to take on the Chairman’s role?

This is a fantastic club which is testament to the previous Chairman and his great team (many of which I am pleased are staying around for a little longer)! We have some good foundations on and off the pitch I’m excited by the prospects we have to grow and improve

Can you tell us more of the activities happening on and off the pitch ?

Ok lets start with the football The senior teams are already starting their pre-season training, and the management team tell me this has begun well with some new faces potentially interested in signing on with us This year we will have five senior teams representing us at 1st, 2nd and 3rd team level, an under 19s team and a newly formed women’s team

Junior Football continues to grow from strength to strength, and this was perfectly represented by another fantastic junior tournament this year, where we welcomed over 300 teams, with nearly 2,000 players playing nearly 900 games I don’t know of a bigger tournament in Wales, and definitely not a better run one I was pleased to be part of the volunteer group again this year, and I hope to be in years to come

Off the pitch we will continue to have pool and darts teams, as well as running a great social calendar In addition we have some exciting progress in the development of The Causeway Bar We have sought approval from the Trustees to start a refurbishment of the main bar area which will take place in late July/early August ready for the beginning of the next season There is a committee already in place running this programme, and they have the aim of developing a newer and more modern feel to the Bar. This will extend from new flooring, furniture decoration and layout – so watch this space for progress

What are your hopes for the coming year?

There is a great opportunity for our club to continue to develop Specifically in the next 12 months, I hope to see competitive and enjoyable football across all our teams, with a target of promotion for our first team We have some strong talent coming through our development teams too and the linkages for this to develop players from the junior teams continues to strengthen

Our grounds and facilities are a great asset to us as a club It is important we maintain and develop these to the best of our abilities, and we will continue to invest in these I am sure many other people also hear the great comments we have about our facilities, and this is great motivation for us all to support their use

Overall I’d like to continue the development of the sense of community in our football club, driving positive experiences for our members , players , visitors and sponsors We are no longer a small village football club, but instead a large football club in the South East of Wales, playing good quality football with community engagement which will allow us to continue to grow

We have a lot to be positive about. I hope you enjoy today's friendly against Newport County. It's always a real highlight of the Undy AFC calendar.