07/06/24
As we approach the start of the new season, I wanted to share some updates and developments with you all. The off-season is never a time to relax, but a brief window to review and prepare for another gruelling campaign. This is the club's first summer managing Arbour Park, making it an exciting time for us all.
Arbour Park Developments
Our aim is to make Arbour Park feel like home while ensuring it has greater functionality to enhance the match day experience for our supporters and non-match day users as our attendances continue to grow. This will include increased club branding throughout!
You may have noticed that we decorated the main bar last week, with further decorating planned in the coming weeks. In response to feedback requesting services on the east side of the ground, we have ordered an additional outdoor bar/kiosk, which will arrive this week.
I am pleased to announce our partnership with JA Fitness to create a fantastic performance studio for our players. This studio, located under the west stand, was previously a store room. Stay updated on our socials for the transformation progress and opportunities to join JA Fitness!
The largest development will be the conversion of the tea room into a new bar area. The current space is limited and doesn't offer a great experience. We plan to relocate the club shop to the other side of the west stand, providing a larger space for the bar, and will add a new external door to make the new bar accessible from the car park. We aim to complete this development by the start of the season.
Although the stadium is only eight years old and offers a great foundation, some areas were never designed for National League South football. The changing rooms are a prime example, and we will be giving them a facelift in the coming weeks.
Ahead of the new season, we will schedule work parties on dates to be confirmed, encouraging as many members of the Rebel family as possible to join us in tidying and freshening up Arbour Park. Plenty of food and beverages will be available for all willing helpers!
Memberships
With the early bird deadline passed, we have seen a record number of sales, with many new members joining. It is evident that you are taking advantage of the membership benefits, which we thoroughly enjoyed delivering last season. Despite our price increases, extensive market research shows we still offer incredible value compared to other clubs at our level and locally.
New Home Kit
For the 2024/25 season, we will be launching a new home kit. We will keep you posted on the official launch date in the coming weeks! Additionally, we will have a new range of Macron training wear available for purchase from our first friendly match.
Schools Coaching
As part of our drive to engage more with the community, we have launched free coaching in 13 primary schools this week. These schools include Wexham Court Primary, Marish, St. Anthony’s, Stoke Poges, Holy Family, James Elliman, Denham Village, Willow Primary, Cippenham Primary, Foxborough, Our Lady of Peace, Phoenix, and Langley Academy Primary. This initiative, running for six weeks up to the summer holidays, demonstrates our commitment to the community and surrounding areas. Following this pilot rollout, we will recruit a full-time coach to deliver the programme on a larger scale.
New Signings
No summer is complete without comings and goings! Much has been said about the players we have lost, all of whom served the club well and benefited from being in a positive environment and a high-achieving squad assembled by Scott. Just like last summer, Scott has worked tirelessly and intelligently in the market. This week, we have started to see the results with the arrival of some outstanding talents: John Gilbert, Sam Evans, John Ufuah, and Dan Roth. One of the most refreshing aspects of working with Scott is his approach to recruiting players, his attention to detail, and the depth he goes to in seeking the best players for our club. The person is important - they must believe in our project. In Scott’s words, they must 'fall through the door' to want to be at Slough. At this stage of the window, Scott has remained patient and calm. He has targets, and he won't sign anyone just because they are available, which often happens at this level.
Women’s Team
As you may have read recently, our application for promotion has been accepted. We will begin the new season at the highest level the women’s team has ever played: Southern Region Division 1 North. We aspire for all our teams to play at the highest competitive level, and this promotion is part of our strategy to embrace the growth within the female game. It will be a challenging season, and the management team is preparing, starting with open trials. Further details can be found here.
Community Team
Due to the departure of our long-serving management team, Alan and Alex, we require a new manager/coach to take the reins for the 2024/25 season. If you are interested, please contact Kay Lathey for further details at kay.lathey@sloughtownfc.net.
Academy & Junior Section
The Academy and Junior sections are expanding every year, now comprising 27 teams, including boys and girls. The Junior Academy has been developed to offer talented young footballers excelling in our junior section or external clubs a performance pathway with additional training, and national/regional competition in a professional environment.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Arbour Park for our pre-season matches, but in the meantime enjoy your summer!
Ashley Smith
CEO
Arbour Park Developments
Our aim is to make Arbour Park feel like home while ensuring it has greater functionality to enhance the match day experience for our supporters and non-match day users as our attendances continue to grow. This will include increased club branding throughout!
You may have noticed that we decorated the main bar last week, with further decorating planned in the coming weeks. In response to feedback requesting services on the east side of the ground, we have ordered an additional outdoor bar/kiosk, which will arrive this week.
I am pleased to announce our partnership with JA Fitness to create a fantastic performance studio for our players. This studio, located under the west stand, was previously a store room. Stay updated on our socials for the transformation progress and opportunities to join JA Fitness!
The largest development will be the conversion of the tea room into a new bar area. The current space is limited and doesn't offer a great experience. We plan to relocate the club shop to the other side of the west stand, providing a larger space for the bar, and will add a new external door to make the new bar accessible from the car park. We aim to complete this development by the start of the season.
Although the stadium is only eight years old and offers a great foundation, some areas were never designed for National League South football. The changing rooms are a prime example, and we will be giving them a facelift in the coming weeks.
Ahead of the new season, we will schedule work parties on dates to be confirmed, encouraging as many members of the Rebel family as possible to join us in tidying and freshening up Arbour Park. Plenty of food and beverages will be available for all willing helpers!
Memberships
With the early bird deadline passed, we have seen a record number of sales, with many new members joining. It is evident that you are taking advantage of the membership benefits, which we thoroughly enjoyed delivering last season. Despite our price increases, extensive market research shows we still offer incredible value compared to other clubs at our level and locally.
New Home Kit
For the 2024/25 season, we will be launching a new home kit. We will keep you posted on the official launch date in the coming weeks! Additionally, we will have a new range of Macron training wear available for purchase from our first friendly match.
Schools Coaching
As part of our drive to engage more with the community, we have launched free coaching in 13 primary schools this week. These schools include Wexham Court Primary, Marish, St. Anthony’s, Stoke Poges, Holy Family, James Elliman, Denham Village, Willow Primary, Cippenham Primary, Foxborough, Our Lady of Peace, Phoenix, and Langley Academy Primary. This initiative, running for six weeks up to the summer holidays, demonstrates our commitment to the community and surrounding areas. Following this pilot rollout, we will recruit a full-time coach to deliver the programme on a larger scale.
New Signings
No summer is complete without comings and goings! Much has been said about the players we have lost, all of whom served the club well and benefited from being in a positive environment and a high-achieving squad assembled by Scott. Just like last summer, Scott has worked tirelessly and intelligently in the market. This week, we have started to see the results with the arrival of some outstanding talents: John Gilbert, Sam Evans, John Ufuah, and Dan Roth. One of the most refreshing aspects of working with Scott is his approach to recruiting players, his attention to detail, and the depth he goes to in seeking the best players for our club. The person is important - they must believe in our project. In Scott’s words, they must 'fall through the door' to want to be at Slough. At this stage of the window, Scott has remained patient and calm. He has targets, and he won't sign anyone just because they are available, which often happens at this level.
Women’s Team
As you may have read recently, our application for promotion has been accepted. We will begin the new season at the highest level the women’s team has ever played: Southern Region Division 1 North. We aspire for all our teams to play at the highest competitive level, and this promotion is part of our strategy to embrace the growth within the female game. It will be a challenging season, and the management team is preparing, starting with open trials. Further details can be found here.
Community Team
Due to the departure of our long-serving management team, Alan and Alex, we require a new manager/coach to take the reins for the 2024/25 season. If you are interested, please contact Kay Lathey for further details at kay.lathey@sloughtownfc.net.
Academy & Junior Section
The Academy and Junior sections are expanding every year, now comprising 27 teams, including boys and girls. The Junior Academy has been developed to offer talented young footballers excelling in our junior section or external clubs a performance pathway with additional training, and national/regional competition in a professional environment.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Arbour Park for our pre-season matches, but in the meantime enjoy your summer!
Ashley Smith
CEO
Copyright 2024 Slough Town F.C. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.sloughtownfc.net as the source.