Officers quizzed (22.07.05)

Club sets out stall for season ahead at lively agm

MAIDENHEAD United’s eagerly awaited annual general meeting went off without any major hitches at York Road on Wednesday night.
Attendance was restricted to members only, but the meeting was nonetheless lively, as fans grabbed their annual chance to grill the officers.
Business commitments prevented president Jim Parsons from attending, so club chairman Jon Swan chaired the meeting, leaving secretary Ken Chandler to deliver the annual report.
Unfortunately, treasurer Paul Carney was unable to provide a full financial report, which will now be delivered at an egm in the near future.
However, he was able to announce that due to a substantial in-flux of cash in the last week, all short-term debts have been cleared ready for the new season.
As previously announced in the Advertiser, Jon Swan emphasised the fact that the club intends to run a tighter ship this season with a smaller playing budget.
Swan also confirmed that talks were ongoing with a number of developers regarding the redevelopment of York Road, and that the club and the trustees would only sign a deal that was in the best interests of the club.
It was also announced that the fee for club membership would be raised to £25, while Mark Stewart was elected to the committee with responsibility for ground security.
The meeting concluded with a presentation to Richie Goddard in recognition of his long service at the club, for which he was made a life vice president.
Talking after the meeting, Swan seemed pleased with the outcome, but apologised for the accounts not being ready.
He said: “We had one or two technical issues, and the accounts were produced so late that the officers hadn’t even seen them.”
However, he was pleased with the overall mood of the meeting, adding: “It was very encouraging. People had a lot of questions to ask and people came up with some very positive ideas to help the club.”
Regarding the long-awaited ground redevelopment, Swan claimed the club had received two offers in recent weeks.
He said: “I’ve been engaged in numerous meetings, and in the last 10 days we have rejected two offers that would have given the club substantial funds.
“We have had our financial difficulties.
“But the situation isn’t so bad that we have to rush into a deal.
“So I have gone back to both parties and I hope they will respond with better offers.”
Finally, addressing the anonymous critics of the club, he added: “I’m not interested in people spreading rumours or having their own agendas.
“But I’m very happy for the supporters and members to take part in a healthy debate.”

Former Magpies manager John Dreyer was due to make a return to York Road last night (Thursday), as his new club Hemel Hempstead Town travelled to Maidenhead for a pre-season friendly.
The Hertfordshire side beat Chalfont St Peter 4-0 in their season’s curtain raiser last week, so should provide a genuine goal threat
They will also be keen to sharpen their senses ahead of Wednesday’s home clash with Millwall.
Manager Dennis Greene announced the following squad for the match:

Maidenhead United: Jody Wainwright, Kamran Abassi, Jermaine Ferreira, Jason Cousins, James Saulsbury, Kelvin Mcintosh, Lee Kersey, Ryan Parsons, Bryan Smith, Brian Connor, Damon Ming, Barrie Matthews, Robert Traynor, Stephen Hughes, Fabian Forde (T), Halil Ates (T), Sam Abbot (T), Daniel Blatchford (T), Mardson Silva (T), Nustret Selik (T). (T) Denotes Trialist.

United entertain Dagenham & Redbridge tomorrow (Saturday) at York Road.
On Tuesday, the Magpies travel to The Gore to take on old rivals Burnham.
Thursday’s on-off trip to Thame appears to be off.

Maidenhead United’s scheduled league game at Lewes on Saturday, September 3, has been moved to Sunday, September 4, to avoid a clash with an England game.