WEEKLY BULLETIN – 5TH APR
50/50 IS BACK-ONLINE
Please support our online 50/50 draw. The aim is to raise desperately needed funds for the club but equally importantly to also raise funds for the East & North Hertfordshire Hospitals’ Charity , which is running a special #HereForEachOthers campaign to raise funds to support the Coronavirus effort in our local area.
The distribution of the prizing will be 40% to the winner, 40% to Hitchin Town FC and 20% to the East & North Herts Hospitals’ Charity. We would like everybody to get behind this fund raising effort and if you can publicise it through your various social media outlets such as twitter facebook and instagram we would be grateful. It was great to see Jack Wilshere do this and he has 3.72 million followers!
Tickets are still £1 just as on match days but if you feel more generous there is no limit on the number of tickets you can buy. Tickets have been selling well and as we post this bulletin, we’ve surpassed the 1,000 mark which is fantastic. However, obviously we want to keep encouraging you to buy more to help the club and the NHS. The draw will be made live online via our twitter feed on Wednesday 8th April at 7:45pm.
Please support the 50/50 and you will find it very easy to register to buy your tickets here.
GENEROSITY OF SUPPORTERS
The club have written to all season ticket holders offering them the following three options:
- Would they consider donating the unused portion of the season ticket to the club and waiving a refund
- Would they consider the value of the unused portion of their season ticket being set as part payment against a season ticket for next season
- Would they like a refund
So far we have had replies from 80% of season ticket holders and with just one exception they have all chosen option 1. The other person chose option 2 but nobody asked for a refund and we are very grateful for this generosity.
After the 50/50 draw has been held we hope to put 2020/21 season tickets on sale as soon as possible.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Mark Burke and myself have been spending a lot of time going through the government’s financial aid packages to see what help is available for Hitchin Town FC. We have also been checking any other forms of financial assistance available. It is often said the devil is in the detail and it is not always as easy to access available help as you might think but we will certainly go for any help that we can. Incidentally the FA have been very good in providing regular updates to member clubs about the current crisis and what help is available.
MANAGER’S NEWS WITH MARK BURKE
Mark tells me that this week he has been talking to the players with regards to them signing for next season and said he got positive feedback. The players are keeping in touch with each other through their WhatsApp group and there is currently a 5k run challenge with the players recording their times.
We will announce the winner next week!
BRETT’S BLOG
The highlight of my week was editing Brett’s Blog. It is now available here and I really recommend you all to read it as it will cheer you up in these uncertain times. I must thank Brett who spent a long time producing his blog and I will certainly be chasing him to produce more blogs next season.
HITCHIN TOWN LADIES
The Ladies’ manager Callum Ellis has produced a review of their season and can be read here.
1928 MINUTE BOOK
I will continue to produce weekly excerpts from the club’s first ever minute book. This week’s instalment will cover minutes of the meetings from 13th to 27th August 1928 and includes details of the very first games played by Hitchin Town FC.
Please stay safe and continue to follow government guidelines to make sure we protect the NHS and save lives.
BY ROY IZZARD