Rebel of the Month Award

[Sir Rebel1965]

"I'm delighted to announce our September 'Rebel of the Month' winner is Mike Ballard.

Most people will have seen Mike behind the outside bar on a match day, where he has been volunteering for a few years now.

But what most people won't know is that since Orchard Community Sports took over the club back in 2020, Mike has been working away behind the scenes on the accounts and day-to-day bookkeeping. He has been invaluable to the club, and we couldn't have done the last three years without him.

Thanks for all your efforts, Mike!

Ashley Smith
CEO"

 

So A23 and Ashley were running the club in 2020?

What next will Ashley be claiming - The B&B cup win of 2018/19 or the Oxford Hospital cup of 1920/21 were all down to A23?

[Reading Rebel]

I might be wrong but hasn't it always been Orchard Community Sports since the days of Steve Easterbrook, Craig Edwards and John Porter?  

[Curtis]

Congratulations Mike, and thank you for all the time you have contributed to the Club.

[grandad]

Surely Ashley was thanking Mike for his service over the last three years on behalf of the club, not that he (Ashley) had been involved for that length of time. Looking for issues where there probably aren't any is not a clever move, especially when it detracts a thread thanking a loyal volunteer.

Thanks for your contributions to this great club of ours Mike.

[Scott Davies]

7 hours ago, Sir Rebel1965 said:

"I'm delighted to announce our September 'Rebel of the Month' winner is Mike Ballard.

Most people will have seen Mike behind the outside bar on a match day, where he has been volunteering for a few years now.

But what most people won't know is that since Orchard Community Sports took over the club back in 2020, Mike has been working away behind the scenes on the accounts and day-to-day bookkeeping. He has been invaluable to the club, and we couldn't have done the last three years without him.

Thanks for all your efforts, Mike!

Ashley Smith
CEO"

 

So A23 and Ashley were running the club in 2020?

What next will Ashley be claiming - The B&B cup win of 2018/19 or the Oxford Hospital cup of 1920/21 were all down to A23?

I think Ash and the board wanted to acknowledge the services of loyal volunteers, whether that’s before their time, this present day and in the future.

Mike was delighted to be chosen and I think it’s a great idea for people to know about the efforts made by certain individuals within the club on a voluntary basis, something that’s not highlighted enough within non-league football.

To try and tie in that they’ll claim towards the success of a football clubs history are a million miles away from a volunteer getting recognised for their good work.

Not going to lie, this one has confused me! But anyway, well done Mike. That’s the important part.

[Reading Rebel]

Another excellent idea from the club paying due recognition to the volunteers who do all the hard work behind the scenes. 

[Leicester Mike]

I am Mike Ballard. As a friend of Craig, he asked me to carry out the bookkeeping side of the football club/Orchard when Orchard was set up in late 2019 to take over the club from Steve E as I am a chartered accountant. As the club has now transferred to STFC (23), this work will obviously die down.

Thanks to all who have congratulated me. I want to thank Kay for nominating me.

I look forward to serving you at the new outside bar when it is fully set up.

 

[Rebel Wokingham]

If Ashley had thanked Mike for his contribution since they took over you’d probably have criticised him for suggesting the club didn’t exist before the takeover. Stop looking for the negative in everything, it must be exhausting. 

Well done Mike and thanks. 

 

[DonnyNo6]

On 13/10/2023 at 17:27, Leicester Mike said:

I am Mike Ballard. As a friend of Craig, he asked me to carry out the bookkeeping side of the football club/Orchard when Orchard was set up in late 2019 to take over the club from Steve E as I am a chartered accountant. As the club has now transferred to STFC (23), this work will obviously die down.

Thanks to all who have congratulated me. I want to thank Kay for nominating me.

I look forward to serving you at the new outside bar when it is fully set up.

 

Well done Mike