Signing Off

[GarySTFC]

Not the way I saw my final game going, but all credit to Hitchin and given their league position for the past two seasons you can't begrudge them the chance of getting through the play offs.

 

Anyway, as many if not all of you will no doubt be aware, I am standing down from my position as Football Secretary and Online Media Editor (or the man who films some of the game, but thought I would give it a spangly title!) for the club. With a near four year old and another baby due in June, the time is right to relinquish my commitments to the club so I can provide the focus on my family they deserve and have missed out on over the past four years.

 

Through the course of my time in the role, I've met some great people at other clubs who have made the role infinitely more enjoyable and easy to do with their help and assistance and I will miss meeting with them each season. From within our own club, it's been fantastic to work with the managers (Darron Wilkinson, Mark Betts, Derek Sweetman & Steve Bateman) and just see the whole side of what goes on in that side of keeping the club together. It's a shame it never worked out for Darron, Mark and Derek as they gave their all for the club but it just wasn't to be. I could never fault their commitment and desire to get the club moving forwards and upwards and they were all fantastic to work with in a professional sense for someone who was still learning the ropes.

 

This brings me on to the current gaffer in Mr Bateman. I don't think people will fully appreciate the amount of time and running around he has done over the past few years in sorting out various little things. His knowledge of the non-league game is exemplary and with my own additional workloads increasing, he has been a fantastic asset to the club and I look forward to helping him out again the future.

 

Thanks also to the other people behind the scenes who make the whole match experience go without a hitch for me. The Lillywhites spend so many extra hours either side of a match getting bits and pieces sorted out and their help and support has been very much appreciated in the past four years. I've been able to have my mood lifted by the three of them on many times after a poor performance or a long journey and look at them with a real admiration for the sheer amount of work they do for this club. Thanks to Chris Sliski who sorts out just about everything on a matchday you could think of and is always offering to help out with anything. Kevin Merryweather sorting out the financial side so we can make sure the referees get their monies and it's been great to see King Kev at work first hand and be able to help out a real Slough Town legend. We have one of the finest programmes at non league level even if the stapling is often sorted out and the time and effort required to get that all together on top of other committments means Glen Riley shouldn't go unnoticed from getting those programmes to me on time game after game.

 

There's been two guys running the site this season for the main part. Chris Boxall stood down after many years of maintaining and improving the site and Tom Gathern has taken this on and will be applying some fresh ideas to the site over the summer. Matt Webb has done nearly all the reports for the website this season and speaking from experience, that is quite some feat and should not go unrecognised. I am sure there are a few of us out there who could help him out next season and chip in with a few reports to allow him to enjoy a few more matches! We have the best website at this level and it will only continue to improve with the team we have to develop and maintain it.

 

Thanks to the members on the committee who keep the club running in difficult circumstances. Steve Easterbrook is a great man to have at the focal point of the committee and his drive and passion will see this club in their new home in the near future as a testament to the hard work he and the other members of the committee have been working toward for the past thirteen years. From me, special thanks to Roy Merryweather for being there 24/7 to help me out and providing me with a solution for just about any problem we've come across. I've been able to have one of non-league footballs best knowledge repositories on hand and this has made my role over the past four years so much easier and enjoyable. He's been there, seen it, done it and got the black & white photos from when he first did it!

 

Sorry for anyone I've missed as there's been plenty of people over four years and for the vast majority, it's been an absolute pleasure.

 

I've missed being in behind the goal and being able to unleash a few chants/comments and will look forward to making a proper return when commitments allow next season. Keep the support going. I think last night proved there's no better set of fans in non league football. Behind the team throughout the game even when heavily behind and gracious in defeat.

 

The football role I occupied will now be split into two sections. We will have a matchday secretary and a general secretary conducting the work I've been coordinating over the past few years. Mark Hunter and Kay Lathey will be assuming the respective roles and unless I scare them both off over the summer, I'd like to congratulate them both and welcome them into their new roles with the club. I would be very keen to speak to anyone who would be interested in taking on the video of the games as I think the footage we provide is appreciated by our remote supporters and provides us with something which is rare at this level of football so an excellent resource for our website.

 

Onwards and upwards for us all. See you all on Friday for the awards evening. Keep the support going into next season whichever division we end up in and I'll be there cheering on the boys with you all.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

Thanks for everything you have done for the club Gary, it will be good to have you back behind the goal again leading a few songs.

 

Good luck to Mark and Kay for their new roles with the club.

 

 

[3spirit]

:excited: Well done,Gary.Thanks for all your hard work and that also goes to all the seen and unseen helpers of Slough Town FC. This club has improved dramatically these last few years and is far more welcoming and open to all followers of the club.You all deserve a winner's medal !

 

 

[readingrebel]

Thanks for all your hard work Gary and everything you've done for the club.

 

Best of luck to Kay and Mark.

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Well done Gary - a thankless job but essential to the players getting onto the field and any game being played.

 

What was the highlight of your career as secratery? - shaking Alison Chapmans hand and getting away quickly before she linked you with the comments at the Wycombe game?

 

Time to look after Emma and Steven and the new baby Thomas.

 

Well done Mr T.

[Ian]

Unfortunately I can't be there next Friday but I hope your hard work and dedication is recgnised at the awards night, Gary. Thanks for all your hard work and whilst we are losing a secretary it will be brilliant to have you back behind the goal again. Just think.......four years of pent up comments to unleash!

[HorshamRebel]

Many thanks for all of the work and commitment you have put in as club secretary Gary, and I hope you enjoy your retirement and return to the job of being a spectator.

You have done a great job especially when we have had the odd oddity, like a referee abandoning a game, which meant non stop work for you for weeks on end afterwards.

 

I have also been asked to pass on these sentiments from Sue and Aidan. Sue is at work at the moment, and with her bad finger, she rang me to post a thank you for them as well.

[coupwotcoup]

Not the way I saw my final game going, but all credit to Hitchin and given their league position for the past two seasons you can't begrudge them the chance of getting through the play offs.

 

Anyway, as many if not all of you will no doubt be aware, I am standing down from my position as Football Secretary and Online Media Editor (or the man who films some of the game, but thought I would give it a spangly title!) for the club. With a near four year old and another baby due in June, the time is right to relinquish my commitments to the club so I can provide the focus on my family they deserve and have missed out on over the past four years.

 

Through the course of my time in the role, I've met some great people at other clubs who have made the role infinitely more enjoyable and easy to do with their help and assistance and I will miss meeting with them each season. From within our own club, it's been fantastic to work with the managers (Darron Wilkinson, Mark Betts, Derek Sweetman & Steve Bateman) and just see the whole side of what goes on in that side of keeping the club together. It's a shame it never worked out for Darron, Mark and Derek as they gave their all for the club but it just wasn't to be. I could never fault their commitment and desire to get the club moving forwards and upwards and they were all fantastic to work with in a professional sense for someone who was still learning the ropes.

 

This brings me on to the current gaffer in Mr Bateman. I don't think people will fully appreciate the amount of time and running around he has done over the past few years in sorting out various little things. His knowledge of the non-league game is exemplary and with my own additional workloads increasing, he has been a fantastic asset to the club and I look forward to helping him out again the future.

 

Thanks also to the other people behind the scenes who make the whole match experience go without a hitch for me. The Lillywhites spend so many extra hours either side of a match getting bits and pieces sorted out and their help and support has been very much appreciated in the past four years. I've been able to have my mood lifted by the three of them on many times after a poor performance or a long journey and look at them with a real admiration for the sheer amount of work they do for this club. Thanks to Chris Sliski who sorts out just about everything on a matchday you could think of and is always offering to help out with anything. Kevin Merryweather sorting out the financial side so we can make sure the referees get their monies and it's been great to see King Kev at work first hand and be able to help out a real Slough Town legend. We have one of the finest programmes at non league level even if the stapling is often sorted out and the time and effort required to get that all together on top of other committments means Glen Riley shouldn't go unnoticed from getting those programmes to me on time game after game.

 

There's been two guys running the site this season for the main part. Chris Boxall stood down after many years of maintaining and improving the site and Tom Gathern has taken this on and will be applying some fresh ideas to the site over the summer. Matt Webb has done nearly all the reports for the website this season and speaking from experience, that is quite some feat and should not go unrecognised. I am sure there are a few of us out there who could help him out next season and chip in with a few reports to allow him to enjoy a few more matches! We have the best website at this level and it will only continue to improve with the team we have to develop and maintain it.

 

Thanks to the members on the committee who keep the club running in difficult circumstances. Steve Easterbrook is a great man to have at the focal point of the committee and his drive and passion will see this club in their new home in the near future as a testament to the hard work he and the other members of the committee have been working toward for the past thirteen years. From me, special thanks to Roy Merryweather for being there 24/7 to help me out and providing me with a solution for just about any problem we've come across. I've been able to have one of non-league footballs best knowledge repositories on hand and this has made my role over the past four years so much easier and enjoyable. He's been there, seen it, done it and got the black & white photos from when he first did it!

 

Sorry for anyone I've missed as there's been plenty of people over four years and for the vast majority, it's been an absolute pleasure.

 

I've missed being in behind the goal and being able to unleash a few chants/comments and will look forward to making a proper return when commitments allow next season. Keep the support going. I think last night proved there's no better set of fans in non league football. Behind the team throughout the game even when heavily behind and gracious in defeat.

 

The football role I occupied will now be split into two sections. We will have a matchday secretary and a general secretary conducting the work I've been coordinating over the past few years. Mark Hunter and Kay Lathey will be assuming the respective roles and unless I scare them both off over the summer, I'd like to congratulate them both and welcome them into their new roles with the club. I would be very keen to speak to anyone who would be interested in taking on the video of the games as I think the footage we provide is appreciated by our remote supporters and provides us with something which is rare at this level of football so an excellent resource for our website.

 

Onwards and upwards for us all. See you all on Friday for the awards evening. Keep the support going into next season whichever division we end up in and I'll be there cheering on the boys with you all.

 

 

Fvck me, are you Kate Winslet's script writer? Good luck fellah...

[Mr Rebel]

thanks for all the hard work Gary its greatly appreciated

 

all those behind the scenes people are the unsung heroes of the club

 

best of luck with the new baby

[Martin]

Yep, well done big man, thanks for all your hard work. Good luck to Kay and Mark.

 

Looking forward to having you behind the goal without that big voice.

 

 

[grandad]

Thanks for all your hard work Gary, and thanks to your lovely wife for releasing you to do it. As you said now is the time to focus on them. The fact that it takes two people to fill your role says a lot as well.

[Ian]

The fact that it takes two people to fill your role says a lot as well.

 

Yeah, well he is a big lad, isn't he?!!

[Windsor_Sec]

I would just like to add my best wishes to Gary and hope he enjoys spending more time with the family. Over the years he has been in the job I've always found his approach to be nothing but professional and a pleasure to deal with at all times. The position of secretary is making more and more demands on volunteers' free time nowadays thanks to the increasing amount of paperwork that the FA, leagues, counties, etc require answered immediately almost on a daily basis and the decision to split the job two ways is the right way to go and you are a lucky club to have two individuals ready to step in and replace Gary at this time.

 

Once again best wishes Gary and enjoy watching the kids grow up as it seems to happen so fast nowadays.

[brighton_rebel]

Well done Gary you have done a fantastic job, but be great to have you and your big gob back behind the goal!

[chris sliski]

BIG BEAR !

 

Going to miss you ... Its been a pleasure to work with you ...and an honour too..

 

Cheers from your match day side kick ! Chris S

Edited April 29, 2011 by chris sliski