SUPPORT THE CANARY CLUB BY MICK DOCKING

In last week’s bulletin Roy made mention of the Budweiser scheme set up to help the clubs and pubs of the UK get through their imposed shutdown. This really is a money for nothing situation – a genuine win – win for everyone other than Bud?

Even if you are an infrequent patron of the Canary Club all we are encouraging supporters to do is buy a voucher online through https://savepublife.com which can be redeemed against any product sold from the Canary Club bar. You need not spend the whole value of the voucher at one go and if you want to buy to “take home” that’s possible too. All you are doing is paying upfront and thereby providing the Club with essential cash flow which would otherwise be non-existent. Vouchers come in £5 units up to £100 and Bud have committed to match the face value of each voucher with an identical donation to the Club.

The process is fully explained on the savepublife site.

There is a ceiling on payments to each participating pub of £1000 – wouldn’t it be great if we could pick up a maximum? Those fives, tens and twenties all add up. A hundred people paying a tenner, or fifty paying twenty is all it takes. Other combinations are available – only ten fans required if they each buy a £100 voucher!

It might take a week or two to redeem, but maybe not – we will all be looking forward to a good drink by then anyway!

Whatever cash is raised from this venture will be earmarked for spending on the upkeep of the clubhouse.

If you are a regular at the Club or an occasional visitor, you can really help us by joining in. Thank you to those who have already joined and I hope many more of you support this scheme.

COLLEGE SCHEME
There will be a press release about how our Hitchin Town FC / Pro:Direct Academy have had some real successes this season going on our website this Tuesday. I hope you will find it interesting to get an insight in to how the college programme works.

GROUND REPORT BY STEVE BARKER
This week the contractor returned to put the fertiliser on the pitch. This meant we couldn’t cut it with our usual mowers that have rotary brushes that collect the cuttings as they would pick up the newly applied fertiliser. So instead the robot was deployed.

The sprinklers are to go out as the heavy rain that was forecast did not materialise on Friday.

The new fence was erected along the edge of the pitch (photo supplied) today Saturday, so the wire fence will be put back next week to finish the job which nicely tidied up that corner of the ground.

The next major task to undertake is the removal of the old shed that had been deteriorating for the past few years so if anyone has a few sheets of plywood they don’t want or can sponsor the purchase of some it would be very well received.

Thanks for the help once again of the ground staff because without them we couldn’t do these tasks.

HITCHIN RETRO
A final reminder that “tickets” are now on sale for fans to view the screening of our first Hitchin Retro game. Our first game will be the Season 1993-94 Diadora Isthmian League Premier Division clash between Enfield and Hitchin Town, played at Enfield’s Southbury Road ground on Tuesday 28th September 1993. Mark Burke has already bought his ticket and has been in touch with other members of the 1993 team urging them to join him.

The game will be made available to view from 19:00 onwards on Tuesday 16th June, and the “tickets”, costing £5 for all adults and £2 for teenagers, will be on sale up until 19:00 on the day when the screening will be available. Once you have bought your ticket you can watch the game at whatever time suits you–you do not have to watch it ”live”.

CANARY CLUB UPDATE
It is a case of good news/bad news. Joint manager Steve Kimberley had another good week and now seems completely free of any Coronavirus symptoms. Whilst Steve is now back to his old self and can’t wait to get back to work, we have had more bad news from the Canary Club. Last week we were shocked to hear that co-manager Rose Wilkinson has also been in hospital, but is now back home.

It goes without saying that the Club passes on its best wishes to Rose and her family at this most difficult time. Further information will follow, but in the meantime Rose’s family have requested that nobody tries to contact her direct for now.

MANAGER’S NOTES WITH MARK BURKE
This week Mark began planning the return to training which will start in July. All FA protocols will be carefully followed so safety is prioritised. The Arena will easily enable the players to split in to small groups as per recommendations.

As to the start of the 2020/21 season there is as yet no news. There is as ever much speculation but as yet nobody knows so Mark can only make sure the players are ready whatever date is decided upon.

BY ROY IZZARD