Co-Chairmen SHARE THEIR thoughts AHEAD OF TOday’s clash with BATH CITY…
Good afternoon and welcome back to Plainmoor for today’s Easter Monday fixture against Bath City.
These notes are being written before our Good Friday trip to promotion rivals Weston-super-Mare, so whatever happened there, we come into today reflecting on what has felt like a really positive couple of weeks around the club.
The standout, of course, was the Tuesday night under the lights against league leaders Dorking Wanderers. In our view, it was one of the best games of football seen at Plainmoor this season — exciting, absorbing and played at a proper tempo from first whistle to last. A 2-2 draw against the top side in the division felt like further evidence that this group has got its mojo back again at just the right time.
One of the biggest reasons for that has been the welcome return of players from injury. Their comeback has given everyone a lift — not just the dressing room, but the whole club and the supporters too. There is no question that a stronger, deeper squad changes the feel of things. We also felt supporters could see clear signs of the more front-footed style of football Jimmy and his support team want us to play. There was an energy, aggression and intent to our game that really got Plainmoor going.
And what an atmosphere it was. The crowd of almost 4,000 for the Dorking match was the highest evening league attendance since Bryn and TUST assumed custodianship of the club. That is something worth pausing on and appreciating. On a wet, difficult night, you turned up in huge numbers and played your part. The noise inside the ground made a real difference, and the players responded to it.
Fun fact: the last time a home evening league attendance at Plainmoor was higher than 3,917 was 15 January 2013 against Exeter — more than 13 years ago.
We were also pleased to record our first clean sheet against Horsham since the last time we faced Bath, when more than 1,000 hardy Gulls supporters made the trip to Twerton Park and braved freezing conditions to back the team in a 0-0 draw. That sort of support never goes unnoticed, and neither does the spirit shown by our fans home and away.
Off the pitch, we also want to thank everyone who submitted questions for the recent Chairmen’s Chat on the club’s official YouTube channel. As always, we try to be open and honest with supporters and to give a genuine picture of what is happening at Plainmoor, both on and off the field. We know that matters.
Finally, we extend a warm welcome to the players, staff, directors and supporters of Bath City. With two clubs fighting at opposite ends of the table, this promises to be a hard-fought and enthralling contest.
Let’s get behind Jimmy, the staff and the players once again — and make Plainmoor a fortress.
MBC, MW and the Board
