HAWK SMASH

Printed in the FA Cup 2nd Qualifying round v Whitehawk Saturday 18th September 2021. We lost 3-1 in front of 395

I can almost sneeze on Whitehawk Football Club from my bedroom window, which is just a picturesque walk from my house. When I stand at the top of Brighton Racecourse I can see the sea and the South Downs, and as I skip merrily through fields, their floodlights are nestled just below the chalk hawk that keeps an eye on the club. So you can imagine I was pretty miffed when the very season we got promoted to the National League South they got relegated. And now we get pulled out the FA Cup hat together its a not-so-picturesque four hour round trip train journey to Slough rather than 15 minutes up the road. 

If i'm honest the Hawks were never a National League Club. But it was part of the plan by the owners to change the name to Brighton City, move the club and get ready for an assault on the Football League. That didn't quite go to plan and they are now in the Isthmian South East rubbing shoulders with Ramsgate, Haywards Heath and East Grinstead Town. 

But the measure of a successful football club shouldn’t just be about piling up the leagues in some unsustainable dash for glory but becoming an integral part of your community. And this is were over the past few seasons Whitehawk have become Premier League material.

Despite the bright lights of Brighton, Whitehawk is in the relegation places when it comes to the multi index of deprivation. The problem with these figures is that they never give you a picture of what is happening on the ground.

Being one of the poorest estates in the country, it’s had more money and health initiatives thrown at it than a dodgy covid contract to a government ministers mate, but have they made a difference? Well meaning professionals with clipboards can never beat feet on the ground engaged locals. Three mates from the estate set up a Sunday league Whitehawk team which has now been embraced by the club. They set about restoring an old football pitch, persuading the motorbikes to go elsewhere, locals have helped clear the area and now clear up after their dogs. Some of the local kids even earn themselves some pocket money for retrieving balls from the brambles on matchdays. But even when the local youth club run free football sessions, some children don’t come along – one mum worrying that the first session might be free but how would she be able to afford it in the future if they started charging and he needed kit.

The club already had an inclusive feel thanks to their ultras who were already in fine voice before employing former Lewes FC community manager Kevin Miller who has worked not just on bringing in sponsorship but cementing those community links. 

Take Hawks in the Community as one example. A unique partnership with the Crew Club, the estates award winning and fiercely independent youth and community centre, Pleece an Co, VYD community interest company, The University of Brighton and Your League TV. All working together with the aim of creating fun football training sessions for young people and fitness programmes for adults focusing on diet, healthy lifestyles on budgets, education through sport and much more.

The partnership also includes a ‘Hawks Heroes’,  10-week project for men over 35 and living on the Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb estates, as well as focussing on programmes for men women and children all ages and levels of fitness.

The Hawks In the Community programme also works as a social movement in mental health and the Club has been working with the 2021 Ageing Well Festival, to help senior members of the community get together in a choir, that will sing during half-time at a home game in October.

There are plans for a new women's football team, disability and walking football, and more youth teams — the Crew Club Hawks - who play in Whitehawk FC colours and represent the club in leagues and tournaments in and around the region. The project includes a three year programme to develop boys and girls football on the Estate to create a pathway from Under 7’s through to Under 16’s.

Vice Chair and Head of Commercial & Marketing Kevin Miller said, “The Hawks In The Community programme is vital to keep the community engaged in sport, create new friendships around the region, and to work together to generate support for each other. Darren Snow at the Crew Club has been phenomenal in his drive and commitment to see a better Whitehawk community, and Whitehawk FC wants to match that commitment. Over the past 18 moths we have seen a surge in community support — everyone is once again looking out for each other — and I hope that going forward, our love for this community can only strengthen those ties, and we can see a new, more positive generation emerge."  

As for their support, their Ultra's make a din in the din. Their non stop singing and fun attitude reminds me of the Slough support with a twist. They manage to incorporate songs about Bognor, Eastbourne, while playing the Last Post for any injured players and jangling keys at key moments - along with banging drums, squeaky toys and bits of scaffolding. Never the best supported in the National South their one of the better and definitely one of the loudest at the level they now find themselves in. Along with their community activities, its their unique selling point ad rather than trying to compete with Brighton they can offer decent football with a beer on the terraces and great atmosphere for a tenner. 

And that in their 75th year is something worth shouting about. 

HOLDING IT TOGETHER

Published in the National League South game v St.Albans City Saturday 11th September 2021  We lost 3-2 in front of 601

‘All Together Now – the extraordinary story of AFC Wimbledon’ by their former chief executive Erik Samuelson really is a tale that needed telling. From having their club relocated to Milton Keynes, to the first trials on Wimbledon Common to being promoted to the Football League in nine years. Now playing at a new stadium paid for by the fans, back in Wimbledon right next to their old Plough Lane Ground. It’s Fantasy Football stuff.

It’s also a story about how fans protested then organised, and the monumental effort that happened behind the scenes by volunteers who just do it for the love of their club and who no one really notices when things are going well.

Even when he was top dog Samuelson was still a carpark attendant before games, not dissimilar to our former hands-on chairman Steve Easterbrook who would rather serve behind the bar or clean the toilets than be seen in the directors room.

A lesser known but no less a remarkable story is covered by Stan Strickland in ‘Don’t Screw Up Hon.Sec’ whose early retirement gave him the opportunity to become secretary of Lancashire village club Burscough. As they built from the bottom up, they rose up the leagues, did up their ground, ran a very successful Youth team and then - despite a small budget and small fanbase - pulled off the biggest ever FA Trophy shock winning it in 2003. When he moved to Anglesley he transferred those secreterial skills to help his local club Glantraeth FC.

Both books are a real insight not just into football economics but the gigantean task it takes to make a lower league football club tick.

At Slough we are committee run and its our volunteers who keep the club going. One of those is Kay Lathey “I was an on and off supporter for many years. My first game was Bognor Regis v Slough Town FA Cup Replay at Nyetimber lane in 1986. Torrential rain and we won.”

Kay has been secretary for twelve years encouraged by her husband “We agreed that as the kids were small and I couldn’t guarantee to be able to make every game particularly in the evenings that the role would get split to have a Match Day Secretary, which Mark Hunter took on.”

“Can I describe a typical week? I don’t think I can, because there is nothing typical about it. The role has grown so much over the years from just being the Club Secretary, to running the bar and catering, being Chair of the Juniors and having fingers in almost every piece of pie; working with the Council to support other hirers and run community provision etc - no two weeks are ever the same, especially since Covid hit. I somehow got landed with the role of Covid Officer too. I really must learn to run faster!”

“If it was a straight forward week, with just a game or two, it would be a case of ensuring that Arbour Park was booked, stewards booked, food and drink ordered, beer lines cleaned, opposition and match officials have all the details and know that they need appropriate footwear for the pitch. Volunteers on standby, floats ready. Players all registered, any lists created (Covid requires a great many lists). We don't have straight forward weeks very often though.”

I asked Kay what one thing could the FA do to make admin easier for clubs. “The FA have done a huge amount of work on their IT systems recently. Improving the Player Portal within Whole Game will have made everyone's life much easier, but sadly that doesn't include the First Team. We have a new system which is being implemented at the minute to move us away from the paperwork exercise of registering players and posting hard copy to the FA and League. Am sure it will be a blessing once it's established and we all know what we are doing with it, but we aren't there yet.”

Finally, How much have you missed football and the fans during COVID restrictions? “Football without fans is just not the same. Ironically I saw more football last season than I have for several years, but it was soulless without the noise and hustle and bustle of a normal matchday. I think the players missed the supporters too and the atmosphere was just flat. Having people back in pre-season has been amazing and after a couple of quiet games, when we played Fulham it really felt like we were back!”

“As hard as it is sometimes - would I change it? No. This football club is about so much more than football. It is a community in its own right and that is clear everytime we need people to come together. The Homeless Lunch, charity activities, personal crisis, through Covid, The football family is always there.”

* Slough are always looking people to help with volunteering especially on matchdays. If interested email adrian.gomm@sloughtownfc.net