Update from Clark's desk... 3rd July 2019

I’ve been in the hot seat now for a number of weeks and thought it would be a good time to give you all an update on things.

We have been training now for 3 weeks and the sessions have improved week on week, with participants travelling in from near and far. The progress I’ve seen within the group has been good and we are now starting to work with individuals on certain areas. When we arrive at the first game of the season, all of our squad will know what is expected of them and the responsibility on their shoulders. It is a very exciting time and one that John and I are enjoying.

Behind the scenes we welcome Simon Hood, who I know from my time at Basingstoke Town. We have kept in touch over the last few years and it is great to be working with him again. ‘Hoody’ brings an extremely professional approach to the game and will always strive to do better. These are the exact people we need to push this football club onto the next level. By utilising his expertise and contacts, Hoody will be giving us all the tools we need to be successful. I’m looking forward to see how this one progresses over the season!

Joining John and I with immediate effect, will be Harrison Gilkes. ‘Gilkesy’ played for a number of years before a series of injuries halted his career and sadly he had to retire. His focus is now on coaching and he shares the same ambitions as John and I. Gilkesy attended training a couple of weeks ago and he immediately challenged my thinking, which I found very refreshing. Having him challenge me in the way he did will only be a benefit, so I can’t wait to see what he does with the players….over to you mate!

On the pitch, we will be wishing a fond farewell to a few familiar faces that the Tadley faithful will be sad to see move on. I didn’t get to work with a number of these players, but receiving the feedback I have, I can tell they were thought of in high regard. I personally wish these players all the success with their new clubs.

In regards to new arrivals, we have secured the services of a couple of players so far. These players will not only bring experience to the club, but they will also bring much needed competition.

We are still in negotiations with other players and hope to get these signed in the next 7-10 days. One thing we don’t want to do, is rush in too quickly, so finding the right characters for the team is vitally important.

There has been a number of players who have re-signed and these, along with the new arrivals will be announced soon.

Lastly, we now go into our pre-season games schedule with a trip to Romsey Town on the 3rd July. After this we entertain Hungerford Town, followed by some games that will give us the opportunity to play some of our youth players. This will be hugely beneficial, as well as the games against Romsey and Hungerford, where I hope we are exposed to some areas that need improvement. The sooner we can identify these and correct them, it will give us a strong foundation to build on come August 3rd.

Thanks for reading, I hope to see you all soon.

Adam