SLOUGH TOWN ARE MASSIVE (but a few more fans, would make us even massiver)

Printed in the National League South game v Braintree Town Saturday 27^th March 2022  We lost 2-0 in front of 670

The last time my whole family came to a football match, my eldest was a baby being breastfed in a dusty old room at Windsor's Stag Meadow with a picture of the Queen looking on. Fast forward 16 years and after leaving the Brighton v Liverpool game early, safe in the knowledge that Brighton weren’t going to score again this season, all my family decided to watch us take on Maidstone. It was my mums birthday and if we going to visit Slough then it would be sacrilege not to watch the Rebels.

We arrived a little late and Slough were already 1-0 up against the full time, top of the table team. But it was the perspective from my missus that was the most interesting. Sat with the little ‘un in the clubhouse, she commented on how comfortable and clean it was. Enjoyed watching all the different people at the ground – young Sikh lads, people with disabilities who have decent viewing platforms where they can watch the football. Ruben even got to see an actual goal as we went mad on the terraces beating the league leaders. And Alex Dutton came up with what could be chant of the season for their big number 4 “Tattoo on his face, the big disgrace, rolling on the ground all over the place.” I don’t think I can persuade my eldest to start following Slough but it got me thinking about how we attract new supporters.

Supporters of a certain age go all misty eyed over old fashioned stadium. Bath City’s is a corker but they have so far failed to get the planning permission to upgrade it and bring in the income streams that would make the club financially sustainable. And as for the mens toilet block. The last time I was there, a group of ecologists had just found a new species of mushroom. St. Albans is a delight nestled in a Victorian Park but you need a stairlift to get to the clubhouse. And there’s Dulwich who are bursting at the seams. They used to be such a billy no mates club and now look at them. I wouldn’t want to go their in the rain but last Saturday we bought the full Slough carnival works to Champion Hill, sung songs about the biggest trading estate in Europe and gave a ‘Slough Town are massive’ encore for 15 minutes after the game had finished. They even sold food that’s edible. Despite a last minute equaliser, it was an away day that was good for the soul.

Arbour Park suffers from shallow terraces and the fact that having to share the council owned ground, means we can’t really badge it properly as our own. The main bar is in the wrong place and can feel like an aircraft lounge. But new fans don’t want crumbling terraces and stinking bogs.

The new grounds are soulless argument is similar to the one about grass. In an ideal world we would all like to play on it - but i'm not the one trying to make the football finances work. The fact that so many, including the U23’s, can play on the artificial pitch has worked wonders for the club – especially the convey belt of gems from the U23s that now make up a solid chunk of the first team.

It's Non League Day and while crowds across the country for lower league clubs are surging, for whatever reason Sloughs have seriously stalled: 200 down on average from those halcyon pre covid days. This will have a massive knock on effect on budgets. I always think a problem is best solved when its shared and as club powered by volunteers how about we all meet up one matchday and come up with some ideas to attract more fans?

The footballs good, its reasonably cheap, its friendly and fun. Taplow Rebel told me about his 93 year old mum who came to a game over Christmas and got treated like royalty. You can even sip your beer inside and watch the game if you so wish. So why aren’t people rushing the turnstiles to get in? Let’s bash our collective brains together and come up with a plan.