Welcome to Champion Hill for the first game of the new season and welcome to our visitors who are playing their first match at this level since their formation as Maldon & Tiptree FC in 2009 following their Isthmian League championship victory last season. 

It’s been another eventful pre-season and I’d like to thank the staff and volunteers for all their hard work. The eight weeks you have between the final ball of the previous season being kicked and first day of training is simply not enough time to get everything done that you’d like to change, fix or improve and there are always a few events out of your control that derail even the most realistic of plans. 

We knew we would be kept busy with the onboarding of new sponsors, the resulting new kit and the refresh of much of the stadium signage for new and existing sponsors but the dry weather that became multiple heat-waves and which is now a drought has swept all before it in terms of time, money and effort. Grass pitches are increasingly rare in non-league football and we have four in our care and the length of the football season means you have a 4-6 week window each year to return a battle-weary surface back to life and if that window coincides with not just a drought but searing heat every day you are in the fight of your life. 

I could write pages on this and other challenges that the club has faced and will continue to face and so this season we are going introduce a section to this programme to shine a light on what goes on behind the scenes with the club and the authorities that govern it as those are the topics I am asked most frequently about. 

So, look out for those in future matches but for today we can focus on the football, the opening day is a chance for all clubs to be optimistic and get off to a good start. Speaking with Mark and JJ I know I cannot ask for anything more in terms of talent, hard work and preparation, they deserve a season full of success and so do you. 

I thought the team looked settled and assured during pre-season and the results and the football were positive and so please get behind the team and let’s all build on the foundations laid last year and set our sights on promotion.