WFCA Newsletter March 2022

Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.

March 2022

2018/2019 Southern League Champions 2019/2020 National League South play off winners.

If there has been one positive to the pandemic it has been working from home.

It has allowed me to do more school runs than I had ever imagined and I have had some great chats with my kids on the walk in.

This morning was a case in point. Jessie (8yrs old) said to me “Dad, what is it about football that keeps you interested when your team is losing?”

I was stunned and speechless (the second of which those who know me will not be familiar with). I mumbled some answer about me having followed the club over 3 times longer than she had been alive meaning it was ingrained in my soul now and that 5pm tantrum on a Saturday would never change when the team lost.

It's ridiculous how your love of a football club becomes entwined in your everyday life.

Already relegated in 2010, I still managed the timings of my wedding day (wearing a maroon tie and with sky blue balloons) so I could follow a dismal 4-0 battering at Woking.

The pain of relegation eased though. I suppose the cruise round the Med for 2 weeks helped with that (!) But in a roundabout way what I am trying to say is that our support of WFC is unconditional, in the main.

And that whatever the outcome of this season and the implications of which division we play in during 2022/2023 we will think differently about this period in a few years.

The pain of a bad season wears off. But it hurts right now, and it hurts for a while. However, having said all of that. I am not giving us up just yet.

Keep the faith.

James

https://www.wfcsa.co.uk/

Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.

Chairman's Update Hello once again and welcome to this months edition of our monthly newsletter. Can I start by asking you all to get in touch with our newsletter editor if you would like to contribute to the content, either as a one off or on a regular basis. We really do want to hear from you and this is your newsletter!

We were delighted to present a cheque to Weymouth FC for a combined total of £7500! This comprised two lump sums, £5000 in January and a further £2500 in February. These payments are only possible because of the fantastic support we get from Terras fans everywhere, so once again, may I take this opportunity to thank you all for your generosity.

The ladies team are going well, more on this elsewhere in this issue. We are delighted to be able to sponsor their remaining home fixtures this season. Please do take the opportunity, if you can, to watch a game, you will be almost certainly guaranteed some goals!

At the recent AGM, there were some very good questions put to the board regarding future finances and how income streams can be improved. This is a good opportunity to begin to address the issue of share ownership. After our well publicised travails back in 2010 and the subsequent CVA agreement, share ownership is currently limited to 7.5% for any one individual, with the intention to prevent any repeat of what went before. (The exception to this is the Supporters Club can hold an unlimited number of shares!). Whilst well intentioned at the time, the 7.5% restriction has not really stood the test of time and could now be a hindrance to garnering investment to improve our infrastructure in a way that generates revenue throughout the year and not just match days. I think there is broad agreement this needs to change, but the trick will be how do we do it and how do we continue to protect the club from potential predators who are out to make money. It will not be easy, there is much work to do to put a plan together, but we have to start somewhere.

Acknowledging there is a problem is as good a place to start as any. Rest assured, nothing can change without the support and backing of shareholders so fan engagement will be key. As we learn more, we will keep you up to date as best we can. Newly appointed Weymouth FC full director Mark Palmer is meeting with The Terras Supporters Club board at the end of this month. Mark will present to us his vision for the future of the club, including improving income streams. If you have any questions you would like us to put to Mark, please do get in touch via enquiries@wfcsa.co.uk Thank you once again for your continued support, it really is appreciated. Until next time, Pete Nash Chairman WFCSA

https://www.wfcsa.co.uk/

Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.

Membership update - with Ken Willis Membership of the SA increased by two during the month. Now this may seem insignificant but it has reversed the trend of the previous six months where membership had decreased because fans did not take up the option to renew their membership.

February and early March has seen all of the memberships that were due for renewal being taken up so that is pleasing news. Of those, we have 128 members on the 5 year option.

March draw winners Colin Briden of Bridport Claire Pavey of Weymouth Barbara Cutts of Weymouth Ken Willis Membership Secretary membership@wfcsa.co.uk

Charlie Wilson writes for the Terras Times Hello everyone! Firstly, let me introduce myself.. as some of you may know me and some of you may not. My names Charlie, I’m the captain for the Weymouth FC Women’s team.

I’m also the newest member of the Supporters Association board to which I’ve had the warmest welcome and I’m very grateful for that.

I’m here, writing this section to tell you a bit more about the work myself, Paul Tapper, Tom Bearwish and Harrison Bruton have been doing out in the community within several local schools as part of the club’s support of The Chesil Education Partnership Reading Project.

I have to mention and thank Richard Howes who is the lead of the Dorset County Council Educational Challenge, he has been an amazing link between us as a club and the schools.

Richard and Paul Tappers work, all behind the scenes, to bring this all together has been instrumental to its success.

We’ve been out to several schools already, with more to come, to highlight the importance of reading. Our partnership will also provide various incentives for the children who achieve reading goals such as: coaching sessions, matchday tickets, stadium tours and the opportunity to be a mascot for a home game.

Not only this, but we’re also hosting an inter-school tournament on Friday 27th May!

https://www.wfcsa.co.uk/

Terras Times The newsletter of Weymouth FC Supporters Association.

So there is lots of fun incentives for reluctant readers.. one of which is me!

At all the schools we’ve been too we have hosted an assembly to introduce ourselves, explain why we’re there and to get to know the children.

We discussed the first books we ever read, our favourite genre, where we read and our favourite author as well as much more.

We also highlight the importance of reading for sportsmen and women in areas such as understanding contracts, match reports, coaching information and match details.

These assemblies are really enjoyable and interactive, with a football, covered in questions to be kicked around and asked.

We get involved and take pictures with the children, sign footballs, shirts and more!

We’ve received some amazing feedback for these assemblies and hope the more we done, the more children will be inspired to pick up a book as well as a football!

At each school, after our initial assemblies, we then return to the schools for 4 consecutive weeks to lead coaching sessions. At these sessions we work on passing, dribbling, teamwork and bonding, shooting, everything that makes up the backbone of a footballer.

During these coaching session we take a break to keep hold of the reason we’re there, to highlight the importance of reading. We take a minute in each of our sessions to read parts of Dan Freedman’s series of books; Jamie Johnson.

This also gives us players and Paul and bit of a breather.. kids have SO MUCH ENERGY, don’t they?!

As another additional thing for the schools, we as a club are gifting them ‘The Kick Off’ by Dan Freedman, for their library, which will be signed by all Weymouth Players involved in the assemblies and coaching.

The schedule is getting hectic with more and more schools each day wanting us to attend.

So hopefully soon, we’ll be in a school near you!

Boost the playing budget by joining the Wessex Fantasy Football this season. Click here for more.

https://www.wfcsa.co.uk/