Hello everyone and welcome back.
We are delighted that today marks the start of a new season with our men’s team’s first pre-season fixture. Our women’s and junior sections will also be returning very soon.
At the end of last season, I sat down with Tia to be interviewed for our usual end of season review. Following last year’s significant investment in the new pitch relay, alongside the renovation of our changing rooms and the installation of new dugouts, I rather naively said that we had no major plans for this summer.
As I often say, things change quickly in football.
Just a couple of weeks after filming that video, I held our annual supporters meeting to reflect on the season and discuss our plans for the future. During that meeting, we shared ambitious proposals set by our Board of Directors to improve our bar and catering facilities.
Attendances at the Valley Stadium have grown significantly over the past few years. We have recorded our highest ever average league attendance, with that figure increasing year on year for the past three seasons. At the same time, the stadium has become an increasingly popular venue for businesses, private events and functions.
Because of that growth, we made the decision to invest in a brand new matchday fan bar, alongside a complete renovation of our main function room.
These improvements will allow us to offer what we believe will be one of the very best matchday hospitality experiences in non league football. They will also enable us to host events throughout the year without compromising the experience for supporters attending football sessions outside of match day.
We now have two bars on site and both are looking fantastic. We will be sharing more information and plenty of images very soon.
Unfortunately, time has caught up with us slightly ahead of today’s pre-season fixture. Due to a small amount of work still needing to be completed in the new bar, together with a delay from the brewery in installing the beer lines, neither of the new bar areas will be open for today’s fixture.
Our aim is to open both facilities next week, in time for our next pre-season fixtures later this month and the return of our junior players, who begin training again on Tuesday 14 July.
Today’s supporters will still be able to enjoy refreshments from our usual outside bar by the turnstiles, while our kitchen will also be open, featuring a revamped and much improved menu.
We sincerely apologise for the delay. Everyone has worked around the clock to get these facilities ready, but we need just a little more time to ensure everything is fully completed and operating exactly as it should before we officially open them.
Finally, I would like to thank our incredible team of volunteers. Alongside our contractors, they have given up countless hours over the past few weeks to help get the stadium ready for the new season.
Many of the improvements are still a work in progress, but I am sure you will already notice the significant transformation that has taken place. It has been genuinely humbling to see how much pride people have in this football club and its stadium.
Spending time with these volunteers over the past few weeks has been a real privilege. Their enthusiasm and commitment are a constant reminder of why we continue striving to create something special, not only for everyone connected with Redditch United Football Club, but for the wider town as well.
We hope you enjoy today’s game, and we look forward to an exciting season ahead. We cannot wait to share the finished results of all the work with you very soon.
