Good Afternoon and a warm welcome to today’s opponents Mickleover.
As the season heads towards its final throws we’ve welcomed the turning of the calendar this week as we leave February behind us and move into March, with all of the renewed optimisms that Spring provides. As I write these notes, I consider the similarities between the changing of the seasons and the landscape of our football club.
The bitterness of a long and dark winter begins to ease around us and signs of new life, fresh hope and green shoots of recovery begin to emerge all around us. Though we remain cautious of the frosts that have permeated our surroundings for what seems like an eternity, we are buoyed by the memories of warmer climates, the successes of summers past and the realisation that these times will come again. The cycle of the seasons provides an inevitability that we are accustomed to, the knowledge through past experience, that in the darkest depths of winter, we continue to move slowly back towards more favourable temperatures, little by little, day by day. There is necessity in the cold and the dark and the wet of winters in that it allows us to appreciate the warmth of the summer sun. I relate this to our Club and our current journey in that we all remember the warmth of recent campaigns and the sunshine of successful seasons. Currently our Club feels as though we have been stuck in an endless Winter of dark and gloomy weather and that the clocks will never change, but I see the green shoots all around. In every volunteer, in every working group, in the atmosphere around Hayden Road on a matchday. In the determination of every board member working tirelessly to ensure the area of the Club that they are charged with overseeing delivers the best results it can. In those who have joined to support the Club, in those who have returned and also those perennial volunteers who have continued to bloom through the depths of our Winter. While we remain aware of the frosts still to come, that serve as the hangover of the darker weather, it is clear that for us, warmer climates are on the horizon, and the sunshine of success will shine over Hayden Road once more.
We welcome also today’s representatives from the Community side in the form of the U10’s. We hope you enjoy your day with us at Hayden Road. A reminder that our home game against Leiston on 25th March is our designated Community Day where we will be delighted to welcome representatives from all of our Community sides as they complete their sponsored walk here at Hayden Road. Look out for details on how you can support them in coming weeks.
Finally, we hope you all enjoy your visit today to Hayden Road and we wish a safe return to Derbyshire to all players, fans and officials from Mickleover FC.
Come on You Whites!!!
Rob
