It has been my privilege to serve as Commercial Manager and Chairman for the Alderney Football Association. This has provided me with the opportunity to give back to the island which has given so much to me and my family over the years. In this report I look back at the progress we have made together during this period and look forward to what more there is to do and what can be achieved in future years.
I initially started to help football activities with administration and transport support for the 2011 Island Games on the Isle of Wight. For these games Park Cameras sponsored the training and leisurewear which you still see around the island today. Who could forget the crocodile dance behind the Bermudan team at the opening ceremony as Lord Seb Coe looked on whilst in the planning stages for London 2012 Olympic Games.
We went from borrowing second strips, mixing pairs of socks from different strips to having home and away adult kits, juniors all with Alderney kit and secured long term clothing sponsorship and kit partnership with Stenham Trust and Jamie MacDonald respectively.
As the commercial manager I set up the vice presidents, life presidents and enjoy the banter around the league table of the respective football clubs that each person supports. Although Manchester United have often finished at the top, it’s worth noting Brighton and Hove Albion has been a constant high up the list and always above Celtic, Rangers, Villa and Hearts!
We have set up fundraising activities which have ranged from match and player sponsorships and Vice Presidents list mentioned earlier, plus a Dingo evening (Bingo with a meal) and continued the jumble sales. We have compiled Fixture Books, as well as generating more income from the Muratti Programmes with reduced contra adverts. The friendliness and generosity of the people of Alderney is what makes this island so special, and that support has been unwavering even in the hard times we have experienced in recent years.
Kids football started to receive financial support for flights from the Trips Fund organizer Jim Phillips and Alderney Sports Foundation led by Simon Brazier, plus over the years significant amounts from Michael Maunder and Sam Chadwick and the Meat draw. The first set of beneficiaries included Owen Carre, Sol Bower, Oliver Taylor, Heidi Dawber and Ayla Lord. From which Heidi and Ayla got selected onto the girl’s elite pathway route for which there is no boys equivalent.
Additionally, we have raised over £120,000 for the clubhouse extension and architect drawings with more than 80% of funds raised off island including major donations from Lloyds Bank Foundation and Guernsey Community Foundation. I am grateful to my daughter Kirstie Atkins for her help with these and other grant applications.
This is in addition to the monies raised to support Priaulx League, Island Games participation and kid football activities. As the Commercial Manager I lent the club money so in 2016 we could enter the Priaulx League and pay the 2017 Gotland Island Games Registration Fees before the deadline of September 30th, 2016.
These efforts off the pitch are vital in order to support Island Games entries for Isle of Wight (2011), Jersey (2015), Gotland (2017) and Ynys Mon (2019) where we finished in 7th place, to date our best finishing place. I am proud that our small island has been able to compete in successive football events after our only previous entry in 2003. More importantly the opportunities and memories that our participation has given to all involved.
Sadly, it looks as though we will not be competing in Guernsey in 2023, but as I am stepping down from being the AFA Chairman before that point, someone else can take credit / blame for that! Although there were successive postponements of the Muratti I can hardly be blamed for a global pandemic! For several years I have represented Alderney FA on various committees mainly on teams’ video for Muratti and Inter Island Insular Meetings plus doing all the flight bookings and doing the registrations with one year off when Ross Benfield did it. Rachal Bowditch has also been not only helped the club financially but also represented us for some meetings in Guernsey.
I also did all the hotel bookings often getting special rates for the club by getting them to directly match my Expedia VIP Membership Rates. I am also grateful to support received from David Legg for helping set up our constitution and governance structure.
Muratti days are always very special occasions. It was great to see it return this year. Once again, the boys did us proud and I remain convinced that one day Alderney will win again. This special underdog story was famously covered in a four-page spread within the FourFourTwo magazine. Thanks to Andrew Lawrence for helping me to support that. I was also pleased to get the Muratti covered in a centre page spread in the Non-League Newspaper.
We have strengthened Governance and Safeguarding, establishing roles and responsibilities to share the workload through a committee which meets regularly. Together with Richard Hunt and Lee Sanders we have created and reviewed policies, which in addition to coach qualifications and the clubhouse redevelopment with two separate changing rooms for kids as well as storage for training and first aid kits, has resulted in full FA Chartered Accreditation.
Pete Concanen and I became the trustees in 2018 to take responsibility for use of the land and ability to ask permission of the General Services Committee of any development. Josh has agreed to take over from me.
In terms of Coach Development, we have organised visits from Football Development Officer Gus Mackay and Safeguarding Officer Mike Garnett. A few people got the FA Playmaker Qualification including Alan Adamson, Lee Sanders, Richard Hunt, and myself, which formed as a stop gap until the Level 1 Coaching qualification became available online which Annabelle Tate went on to get.
For the future I would like to see the following:
• Greater number of qualified coaches to sustain and strengthen our position as an FA Chartered Club and more importantly provision for kids’ football
• Installation of permanent floodlights to enable consistent training over the winter months
• A separate training area, which would facilitate a funding application for floodlights cannot get if training on playing pitch.
• Consolidate and sustain fundraising and sponsorship activities to keep the AFA and Club on a solid financial footing to support football activities
• Redevelop the clubhouse to increase capacity and improve pitch viewing plus safer straighter stair access.
• Develop other income streams from facilities, e.g., room hire for band practice, physiotherapy and sports massage consultation and treatment rooms.
• Develop a sound business case to install, maintain and replace a floodlight 4G pitch
Ultimately, I had a dream of holding the Island games in Alderney in 2031 which was confirmed by Gotland Island Games CEO as eminently desirable as no small island has yet done it. Joe Blackham has enthusiastically promised to try and fulfil. This would be possible with 11 to 13 sports that could be Sailing, Windsurfing, Beach Volleyball, (Needs more changing rooms at harbour) Football, Cycling (if roads improved) Football, T20 Cricket, Rugby sevens (if pitch could be made opposite Whitegates), Badminton (if Sports Hall at school gets built) Table Tennis, Bowls, Triathlon and Tennis (would need 2 more courts in addition to 4 at Tennis Club.
I would like to thank all those that have supported me and the AFA over the years. Apologies if I forget to mention now but includes: Lois Le Lacheur as Welfare Officer and previously James Taylor, Lee Sanders as Publicity Officer and Secretary and Merchandise Organiser, Gareth Foster for developing the website which Joe Blackham now manages, Pete Concanen with the building works, pitch and ground maintenance, Wendy Dupont with catering, Dingo and jumble sales, Paul Southcote for refereeing Alderney week kids football and Alderney week activities, Paul Williams and then Ceri MacFarlane for running the bar, Ann Adamson and Steve Concanen as licensees. Treasurers including Andrea Maxwell, Andrew Lawrence, Richard Hunt, Alan Hussey; Alan Adamson and Josh Concanen as managers and coaches who have trained and prepared the team over the years. Thanks to Alan, Annabelle Tate, ,Jason Atkins Iain MacFarlane and Paul Bunn for coaching the kids’ football, with coaching visits from Caroline as well. Thanks to Josh Concanen for organising the bonus ball draw which raises £5,700 per annum. Thanks to Tina Dupont for all her fundraising and sponsorship efforts and help with catering. We are also grateful to Neil Hunter for being our Auditor.
I would like to thank everyone, for personal and corporate sponsorship and donations and general financial support. A special thank you to major donors Julie Uggla, Linda and Leslie Aldis and Simon Brazier of the Sports Foundation and the Guernsey Post plus significant sponsorship and advertising support from James Walker Builders. This season’s match sponsors included James plus Ashley Foster, Ros Whittome, The Georgian House, Tina and Dave Dupont, Alderney Rotary Club, Linda and Leslie Aldis Thanks to the Honours Board sponsors Alderney Electricity, Alderney Shipping, Pat Magnum, Ray Parkin, Robin Whicker and Stenham Trustees. Without this financial support we could not run a league team, offer the kids opportunities to play off island or compete in the island games.
I would also like to thank our 19 Life Presidents Heart of Midlothian Alan Adamson, West Ham Leslie Aldis, West Ham Linda Aldis, Brighton and Hove Albion Reg Atkins, Bolton Wanderers Sam Chadwick, Paul Docherty Southampton, Ellis Downes Leicester City, Leeds United Tina Dupont, Frank Games Liverpool ,Bristol Rovers Richard Hunt, Manchester United Alan Hussey, Dundee United Jamie MacDonald, Aston Villa Pat Magnum, Ajax Rein Meyer, Bristol City Mike Price, Glasgow Rangers Alan Semple, Crystal Palace Adrian Street, Leyton Orient Glenn Strongitharm and Wolverhampton Wanderers Robin Whicker, paying £150 to support our club, more welcome please.
A big thank you to everyone that helps and supports the club. From those that help in the kitchen and in the bar on match days, to those selling programmes, especially for the Muratti. Also, the Benfield family and Dougal Bohan on Bingo Fundraising and Wendy Dupont and friends for Jumble sales.
I would like to take a moment to remember all the people that have done a lot for Alderney Football during my time, but are sadly no longer with us, which includes, Louis Dupont, Ray Parkin and Mullo to name a few.
Finally, I remember fondly taking the Priaulx League title race down to the last game of the season, where we finished runners up. I would dearly love to see Alderney win the Priaulx and a Muratti Semi-Final. I would like to wish Alderney Football the very best of luck for the future. I hope to watch on for as long as possible and then look down after that – but either way I will always be watching and supporting Alderney Football.