WEEKLY BULLETIN: 12TH JUNE

MANAGER’S NOTES By Michael Jones

Pre Season
We are looking forward to welcoming back all the players who have committed from last season as well as excited to start working with our new signings as we are now less than two weeks away from the start of our pre season training schedule. This will allow us to have a week’s worth of sessions to gradually get up to speed in preparation for our first pre season outing.

We are now only 3 weeks away from our first pre season game against Eynesbury Rovers which is closely followed by our return to Top Field against League Two side Barnet FC a few days later.

We can’t wait to get back to Top Field to see all our supporters again as we prepare for another positive season together.

Player News
As stated last week we are continuing to look to strengthen our squad as we look to find the right people to join our club.

Academy
Quiet week in the academy as the focus has now turned to the students completing their work to sign off for the summer.

We will be looking to invite some of our academy players into the first team for pre season training as we have done in previous seasons.

If you would like to be part of the academy or for further information please click here or email Michael.jones@wearescl.co.uk.

GARETH SOUTHGATE DOCUMENTARY

It was great to see Top Field featured on national television when Sir Gareth Southgate’s documentary was shown on BBC I last Monday at 9pm. It was great publicity for the club and to see a big crowd with the pitch looking as good as ever was a good showcase for the club. Sir Gareth said how the club was part of the community which is exactly what we want to be. It will remain a surreal moment to have seen Sir Gareth an ex England manager coming through the Top Field turnstiles!

The documentary featured Dan Gaze who was interviewed by Sir Gareth at Top Field. Dan wanted to thank Hitchin Town FC staff and players for their time in the filming and if anyone wants to get involved in supporting. mentoring or volunteering as was discussed in the documentary please send an email to Dan on dgssltd@outlook.com. He has already received over 50 emails.

Dan has organised a charity game to take place at Top Field on Saturday 4th July when a team of local teachers and staff from schools across Beds and Herts will play a well known celebrity team. The celebrity team is in the process of being confirmed and further details will follow. The money raised will go into supporting young people’s projects in schools and the local community.

If you missed the programme, it is now available to watch back on BBC iPlayer.

SEASON TICKET UPDATE By Chris Newbold

Season ticket sales are still progressing nicely, and with just over three weeks to go until the first pre-season game, you will see we have already sold only 10 less than the total for Season 2023/24:

The new design for the plastic card season tickets has been finalised this week and they will be going into production by the end of next week, ready for dispatch and distribution the week after in time for the first pre-season game against Barnet on Tuesday 7th July. There are already 86 cards to dispatch and there will be more, so we will do our very best to get these to you before the first game.

If you will not have received your season ticket card through the post, or have been able to pick it up beforehand or on the evening of the first game, we will still ensure that you can enter the ground if you do wish to attend.

Please remember that if you are able to buy a season ticket and have it on your phone, delivery of this to you is instant upon purchase.

If you’ve not yet done so, click here to buy your season ticket(s).

LUTON TOWN GAME – MARK BURKE TESTIMONIAL

Sales of tickets for this game are already over 500 and increasing day by day – and there is still over four weeks before the game takes place. As with the play-offs, we strongly advise you to buy your tickets online in advance. As well as being cheaper to do so, it will enhance your match experience by being able to walk straight up to the turnstiles, show your ticket, no problems and you’re in!

We intend to open the match day ticket office on the day for card payment only purchases, but we do not know what sort of queues to expect, and it will be open subject to both safety and operational considerations on the day. So, if you want to guarantee your place at the game, don’t delay, buy today!

Prices are as follows:

Online:
Adult £15, Concession 60-79 £10, Teenager £5, Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult) £3, Seniors Over 80 FREE

Matchday at Ticket Office Window:
Adult £17, Concession 60-79 £12, Teenager £6, Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult) £4, Seniors Over 80 FREE

COMMUNITY UPDATE by Mark Burke

Summer Holiday Courses

The Arena, Baldock – Football Holiday Camps
We will be staging 5 weeks of football holiday camps at the Arena, Baldock over the School Summer holidays starting on Tuesday 27th July and finishing on Thursday 27th August. Each camp runs for 3 days Tuesday – Thursday over the period.

Preston Primary School – Multi-Activity Holiday Camps
We will also be staging 3 weeks of multi-activity holiday camps at Preston Primary School over the School Summer holidays starting on Tuesday 4th August to Thursday 20th August. Each camp runs for 3 days Tuesday – Thursday over the period.

Junior Ability Counts
Our Junior Ability Counts sessions at the Arena, Baldock on Monday’s continue again on the 15th June and have a further 5 weeks until 13th July from 5-6pm.
We have extended our Junior Ability Counts sessions with additional sessions on a Wednesday at the Arena from 5.30pm – 6.30pm on 17th June and run for 5 weeks until 15th July.
The sessions are open to 5 – 16 year olds with physical and or SEN but be able to walk.

Safe Hands Goalkeeping Course
Our Safe Hands Goalkeeping sessions at the Arena, Baldock starts its 2nd session on Wednesday 17th June for 5 weeks from 5.30-6.30pm with Hitchin Town 1st Team goalkeeper Josh Mollison. The sessions are open to 6 – 14 year olds.

Coaching in Schools
We continue to work in our local schools delivering coaching sessions at:

• Preston Junior Wraparound Care, Lunch Time Clubs and PPA
• Oughton Primary Lunch Time & After School Clubs and PE Lessons
• Icknield Infants After School Clubs and Morning Clubs
• St Mary’s Morning and After School Clubs, PE Lessons & PPA Cover
• Woolgrove Lunch Time Clubs
• Brandles PE Lessons
• Samuel Lucas After School Clubs everyday Monday – Friday (Excluding Thursday)

If there are any schools requiring support for their PE, PPA, After School and Breakfast Clubs please contact Josh Mollison on info@htcfc.co.uk.

THE BOYS DONE GOOD by Mark Burke

Former canary Callum Stead who finished last season with a flurry of goals for Barnet has made the move up a level to League 1 with newly promoted Cambridge United. He appears to be following the same route as other former Hitchin Town players Zema Abbey and Dave Kitson who both went onto better things after establishing themselves at the Abbey Stadium.

Two former Hitchin Town players celebrated receiving awards at the recent National League Awards night with Stuart Maynard winning Manager of the Year for leading York City to promotion to League 2 by winning the National League, whilst Hemel Hempstead goalkeeper Michael Johnson won the Golden Gloves Award.