THAT EXTRA ONE PER CENT

 

Printed in the National League South game v Salisbury 14th December 2024 We drew 1-1 in front of 661 people. 

Photo by Scott McNeish

Before Sir Dave Brailsford became head of British Cycling the team had only ever won a single gold medal in its 76 year history. But under his leadership that all changed, with British Cycling dominating the 2008 Olympics winning an incredible 60% of the gold medals. They repeated this success at the 2012 Olympics. Brailsford then went on to manage Sir Bradley Wiggins who became the first ever British winner of the Tour de France following this up with Chris Froome's success.

So what the hell did he do? It was all about the “extra one per cent rule”—or rather, what Brailsford refers to as “marginal gains” in action.

Sir Dave believed that the road to success was through small—not giant—strides, having become influenced by the concept of “Kaizen”— a Japanese word meaning ‘continuous improvement.’

His team examined and improved upon everything from aerodynamics to mechanics in the truck they travelled in. He ensured that each team member made positive adjustments to their diet, sleep habits, and overall health. There was one catch: Every team member had to be committed, or the marginal gains approach would not work.

I was thinking about this story the day after the SL Classico victory and remembering a flustered Spreadsheet Stu. He burst into the bar telling us that our manager and kitman had dragged him into the dressing room to give a team talk to the players about just how important the game meant to the supporters. It was a genius move and gave the extra per cent that can make the difference.

Stu himself had been promoting the Wheatsheaf pub on the Slough Town socials. The Wheatsheaf opened early and by 12.30 was rammed, no doubt helped in part with a free bacon sarnie for anyone going to the game. If ever there was evidence of how new owners can inject new life into a place, here it was.

I lived with my dad in Alpha Street for quite a few years. Well, he mainly lived in the Alpha Arms. It was a lively, vibrant place (the area, not so much the postage stamp Alpha). We got together with neighbours and set up a residents group that focused on positive change rather than wasting our time moaning. In one fun rubbish run we picked up all the discarded McDonalds wrappers after they told us it was unhygienic to have proper plates and cutlery; oh and in any case people always put their rubbish in the bin. Oh yeah so how comes we’ve just collected bin bags full from the neighbouring streets. How they thanked us when we returned it all to them.

As I stared out the window enjoying my obligatory pre match breakfast curry I couldn’t help but think that some serious positive action was needed right now. The streets were a complete tip, despite the fact that wheelie bins were everywhere. On this showing, it’s not surprising that Slough had just been voted worst place to live in the country.

But scratch beneath the surface and there’s civic pride because people want to make the places they live better.

The annual #OneSlough Awards returned in November, attracting a record 134 nominations. Organised by the charity Slough Council for Voluntary Services the awards recognise the commitment of volunteers, charities, and supportive businesses.

Here’s just 3 examples

Slough West Indian Peoples Enterprise or SWIPE have been making a difference since 1997. Committed to helping those at risk of exclusion, particularly young people, develop their potential through music, arts, sport or community service, fostering unity among different races and faiths, promoting a shared sense of belonging and community cohesion.

Slough Art for All Adults is a community project aimed at adults who take part in arts and crafts activities at the accessible St

Mary’s Church and at Slough Town FC

Slough Hub has four programmes #DRIVE is the employability and skills development #ARTSCAPE an ambitious initiative that seeks to make Slough a beautiful, vibrant town that becomes a talking point for its unique attractions. #BOOST promotes physical and mental health #IGNITE focuses on the economic development of the area including helping people to start small businesses and create an environment where businesses and people can thrive.

Where does our football club sit amongst this?

Slough Town FC partnered with Slough Hub during the summer to host the extremely successful Slough Olympica which saw over 1600 residents attend and over 30 different sports organisations showcasing their activities.

On the pitch the best of Slough was also in evidence at Arbour Park come 5pm as Rebel supporters where left with smiles on their faces as wide as a giant MarsBar. Not even Storm WhatitsFace could spoil the day.

As we celebrated the win, the players serenaded us with their version of Twist and Shout. As one supporter put it so well ‘I was right in front of this celebration and it was awesome! They really include the fans after every game.’ Getting everyone involved, feeling part of Team Slough Town, squeezing that extra 1% out of all of us.

Ashley Smith CEO of the club told me “Slough Town FC is more than just a football team; it is a pillar of the local community, fostering pride, unity, and opportunity. Its contributions to social cohesion, youth engagement, and economic activity make it a vital part of Slough’s cultural and social fabric. As a club with a long history, Slough Town FC connects the present-day community with its past, creating a shared narrative that many residents take pride in. The club acts as a unifying force, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to support a common cause. This is particularly meaningful in a town as

culturally diverse as Slough. By actively engaging with Slough Town FC, the community not only supports a local institution but also builds a thriving, interconnected, and vibrant town.”

The human soul can’t survive on a diet of takeaways, Netflix and social media. People need to belong and our club are right in the mix trying to make a change.

But things will only change when people step up. Maybe I will bring a litterpick next time I’m in town and try and clear at least 1% of the rubbish on the way to the pub. I might be some time.

And if you think all this is hot air and impossible; well just ask the British Cycling Team.

SL CLASSICO WITH CHRISTMAS BELLS ON

Printed in the FA Trophy 3rd round game v Maidenhead United Saturday 7th December 2024  We won 2-1 in front of 1,770 

Football is all about hope, oh and having fun. As I tuned into Talk Sport to listen to the Trophy draw, like all Slough fans I was hoping for Maidenhead. Bingo! After 23 years – give or take some Berks and Bucks Cup – we get them at home. The SL Classico is finally back.

Now, I’ve got a confession to make. After nearly 50 years of watching the Rebels I’ve never seen us play Maidenhead in a competitive fixture – not even a Berks and Bucks one. Sure I’ve popped over to their ground occasionally to watch them but never the Rebels v the Magpies. This isn’t all together surprising as we’ve passed like ships in the night.

When I was growing up it was Wycombe that were our biggest rivals and games to relish. The most memorable was that almighty ding-dong in March 1993 when we were challenging for the Conference title as it was known then. My local pub the Wheatsheaf was full of Slough supporters up for travelling to the big games – with unofficial coach trips to Colchester, Reading and Wycombe. The problem was getting people to leave the bloody pub and so inevitably we always arrived late. Usually that wasn’t a problem, but at Wycombe the ground was full to bursting, so a few of us more determined ones jumped over the fence while the less nimble watched from the hill side. The official attendance was 7,230 but unofficially it was a lot more and was the record Conference crowd for many years. Wycombe eventually became an established league club while we became a homeless basket case.

As we plummeted down the leagues only Windsor had any semblance of a proper derby; no disrespect to Burnham or Beaconsfield but these matches just didn’t do it for me. And we always seem to lose to them – Beaconsfield helped in part by our money as we swapped our Windsor tenancy for their place. It was soul destroying If I’m honest.

So am I showing a lack of ambition saying I'm not bothered about being in the Grand National League? For starters it’s brutal and has got to be up there with the Premier League as the biggest jump up for promoted teams...just look at last seasons successful teams and see how they are struggling. And if Bromley and Woking's away day hospitality is anything to go by then thanks but no. I like swapping ends, chatting to opposition supporters and having a beer on the terraces. There does need to be three up to the Football League as its created a bottleneck for successful clubs and maybe a Midlands National League but I’m not sure how that would work logistically.

Maidenhead hit the jackpot by having a sell on clause for one of their ex players and they looked like they were getting a new ground before a change of council changed the goalposts. York Road might be one for the historical romantics but it seriously has its limitations. I’d love to know how much some clubs are spending just to keep their heads above water in the National League. If it were up to me I would get clubs to publicise warts and all their monthly accounts to give supporters a better idea of just what it costs running a football club. I’d also do this with council accounts, especially highlighting how the majority is spent on social care now with nothing left for places people can meet like youth clubs, libraries and community centres.

Ambition can also be about what’s happening behind the scenes not just on the pitch, and how a club like Slough – where the council is one step beyond bankrupt – can be the social glue that binds a place together. We’ve already seen this turbo charged since the signing of the lease for Arbour Park.

What we’ve also got to remember is what we see of any organisation is just the tip of the iceberg – the majority of hard work hidden under the waves. Yes we can see the tangible stuff like the new bar, the smart link up with the local boxer, the fancy food trucks and we’ve got more partners than a gigolo! But I know from being involved in community groups; the meetings, phone calls, earache, worries about finance, policies and procedures…..its relentless and when you get it wrong, boy do people let you know.

It’s games like these that will drive attendances, let people know that Slough the Town has a football team where you can have a laugh, meet new friends, maybe even get to bang a bin or shake a tambourine. Get it right today, on and off the pitch and we will pick up a few more supporters, a bit of prize money and some bragging rights. Where down to the last 64. Not a time to dream about Wembley just yet. But that wont stop us hoping – and having a laugh while we pray to the footballing gods that we put one over our near neighbours.