Southam United vs Halse United Matchday Programme

SOUTHAM UNITED4

Richard Kay LETTER FROM THE MANAGER

I would like to welcome the players, management and committee of Halse to Bobby Hancocks Park

for our final OSL game of the season. It promises to be a great game between two of the league’s most inform sides.

The reverse fixture at Halse was a very tight affair. We were going through our toughest period with Covid and availability, so to nick a one-nil win was a good result. I was impressed with the set up at Halse and I expect them to be one of the front runners in the OSL next season.

In my opinion it has been the strongest OSL for years. Its been a very long season and for us the incentive is to finish in the top two, which would be

an outstanding achievement.

There are a handful of teams that would comfortably compete at Step 6. I’ve found that if we didn’t have close to a full squad available, or not at our best, you get beat in the OSL. We have finished the season like a train due to us having a very settled 16/17 man squad and the hard work on the training pitch coming to the fore.

We achieved our main objective of promotion weeks ago mathematically at Cropredy. I knew in all honesty that we had achieved promotion with our away win at Summertown. That was a big win in terms of nailing down a minimum of a top 5 finish and really took the pressure off.

I have to say, the players, since the turn of the year, have been outstanding. The most difficult thing is getting over the line. In this case, getting over the line to take the club back full circle to Step 6. The players’ mentality has been excellent and they have played with a confidence and freedom.

When we re-launched the first team in 2019 the objective was to return to Step 6. It’s been a fantastic three years, even with a year lost to the pandemic. The results and run of form has been beyond my wildest expectations. We have been an absolute juggernaut.

To miss out on our first league title in forty years in 2020 was hard to take. With a global pandemic raging it was obviously about perspective. People have lost their lives and a

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When we re-launched the first-team in 2019 the objective was to return to Step 6. It’s been a fantastic three years, even with a year lost to the pandemic...

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lot of people, including myself, have been through a tough time.

For us to progress as a first team we had to change direction from Hellenic 2. We needed to rejoin the NLS. I will be forever grateful to the OSL committee and its member clubs for allowing us to join the OSL. It has given the club a second chance to progress up the NLS and the opportunity for Southam United to return to Step 6.

I have been very impressed with how the league has been organised and ran. Little things like FA Fulltime being updated by the league secretary to give club managers and secretaries one less thing to do. We have played in a lot of cups this season and again the fixture secretary couldn’t help us enough. It’s a well run league with good people. I hope the OSL continues to go from strength to strength.

There are so many people I need to thank for there support over this three year cycle. From our liaison team, to Marie and Rhian, my Dad, Paul, Ryan and Longy for assisting me, Mike for his unwavering support and enthusiasm and our hardcore supporters.

I wanted to take everyone on a journey and boy has it been some journey. At times I have had to dig deep. At times, like managing throughout a pandemic, it’s been unmanageable. It would of been easier to quit at times but I have a never say die attitude.

Without a shadow of doubt it has been my biggest achievement in football to re launch a

first team from nothing and take it back to Step 6 with little to no resources. Every single player that has played for myself and the club over the last three years are part of this club’s history.

I would like to thank every single player. The players have smashed through brick walls for me and worn the shirt with pride and passion. My staff over the years have been simply magnificent. The last three years has been a collective effort. A football club is about the people that are the heart and soul.

Today brings to an end a three year cycle. We are back where we want to be but myself and Mike want to keep the party going and continue on this journey. Mike is doing an unbelievable job and has put his heart and soul into the club. As a pair I really believe we can achieve great things and hopefully achieve Step 5 football within our next cycle.

It would be the highest level the club has been at on the NLS but it’s now a realistic target. We will build the first team and BHP in a sustainable way with the focus on the community.

It’s been a long journey. I’m hoping that as players, staff and supporters we can just take everything in today and enjoy the occasion. Enjoy the game and the festivities. Enjoy the break and I’m looking forwards to seeing everyone back for pre season as a step 6 club.

UTS

Richard Kay