T PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

NEVILLE WIGGLESWORTH

THIS AFTERNOON’S MATCH BRINGS THE CURTAIN DOWN ON OUR FIFTH SEASON IN THE NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE AS OSSETT UNITED. THERE CAN BE LITTLE DOUBT THAT IN THOSE FIVE SEASONS WE HAVE HAD AN AWFUL LOT TO CONTEND WITH AND SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN LITERALLY BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE SUNK BIGGER CLUBS THAN OURSELVES. SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT BUT OUR RESILIENCE HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL AND WHAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED THUS FAR SHOULD BE VIEWED IN THAT CONTEXT. HOPEFULLY, AND WITH A BIT OF LUCK THOUGH, IT WON’T BE TOO LONG NOW UNTIL WE CLEAR OURSELVES OF UNWANTED FINANCIAL BURDENS AND WE CAN START LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE WITH RENEWED OPTIMISM. EARLY IN OUR EXISTENCE WE COULD QUITE EASILY HAVE BEEN CONDEMNED TO THE ‘DEFUNCT CLUB’ LIST BUT WE HAVE SURVIVED AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL EVENTUALLY EMERGE ALL THE STRONGER FOR THAT EXPERIENCE.

IT’S BEEN A SEASON THAT’S PROMISED A LOT AT TIMES BUT EVENTUALLY DELIVERED A RATHER DISAPPOINTING END AS FAR AS OUR FINAL LEAGUE POSITION IS CONCERNED BUT NOW, LIKE THOUSANDS OF FOOTBALL CLUBS AROUND THE

COUNTRY, WE ARE ABOUT TO PUT THE 2022/2023 CAMPAIGN BEHIND US AND LOOK FORWARD WITH RENEWED OPTIMISM TO 2023/2024. WE WILL BE LOOKING TO IMPROVE OUR CONSISTENCY LEVELS IN LEAGUE COMPETITION AND MAYBE HAVE MORE SUCCESSFUL RUNS IN THE FA CUP AND FA ROPHY. A DART AT THE COUNTY CUP WOULD ALSO BE A BONUS. OFF THE FIELD IS WHERE THE GREATEST ANTICIPATION IS CONCERNED AS GROUND DEVELOPMENTS WILL BE GETTING UNDER WAY AS SOON AS THE LAST BALL IS KICKED. WE WILL BE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWERS TO MAKE SURE SUPPORTERS RETURN NEXT SEASON TO AN ENHANCED MATCH DAY EXPERIENCE.

ON THE SUBJECT OF SUPPORTERS WE CAN’T LET THE SEASON CLOSE WITHOUT MENTIONING OUR MAGNIFICENT SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON JUST GONE. EVEN WHEN THINGS HAVEN’T BEEN GOING TOO WELL THE CORE OF OUR SUPPORT HAS STUCK WITH US AND FOR THAT WE ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. WITHOUT SUCH SUPPORT THE NEW FLOODLIGHTS AND PITCH PERIMETER BARRIER WHICH WERE INSTALLED TOWARDS THE BACK END OF LAST SEASON COULDN’T HAVE BEEN AFFORDED. OUR AVERAGE ATTENDANCE THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON STANDS AT 428 WHICH IS THE THIRD HIGHEST IN DIVISION ONE EAST BEHAND STOCKTON TOWN AND WORKSOP TOWN WHO AVERAGE 638 AND 628 RESPECTIVELY.