We're back - it's Town's best result in 121 years
February 26, 2007
THE INCREDIBLE REVIVAL OF FAVERSHAM TOWN
THE summer of 1990 and Faversham Town were crowned Kent League champions.At least seven of the squad had made it through to the first team via the club's youth system to make it a truly local victory for Faversham.Yet just 13 years later and the Lilywhites appeared to be in grave danger of following neighbours Canterbury City on to the soccer scrapheap.
Truly abysmal management led to the ignominy of suspension from the Kent League for non-payment of fines.In the following months, the once-proud Salters Lane was
systematically wrecked by vandals.Meanwhile, the club's trustees, led by businessman Ray Leader, fought a desperate battle to heal a widening rift with the previous regime
over the ownership of the club and ground.However, it soon became clear that the ordinary man in the street was not about to stand around and do nothing with the club in very real
danger of disappearing for ever.
And in March, 2004, the Faversham Town Independent Supporters Club was formed following an open meeting to discuss the state of the club called by fan Roger Bennett and former Town boss Pat Miles.The following month, the fans formed their own seven-man committee, chaired by long-serving player Bob Mason, and so began the campaign to put the club back in friendly hands.The big breakthrough came in early June when the trustees finally settled the ownership row, leaving the way clear for Bob and his committee to take charge at the club.They had emerged victorious from the first battle, but the war was still to be won.
The new alliance of supporters and trustees wasted no time in identifying their goals - senior football and a community-based club.The new interim committee's first move was to throw itself at the mercy of the public, urging people to make regular donations to the Salters Lane Restoration Fund.Club chiefs also asked county football chiefs for 12 months’ grace
over their senior status.Faversham Town fans had been robbed of their football club by others.
Why should future generations of aspiring young footballers be made to
pay the penalty?
So the committee decided to honour many of the debts run up by the previous regime in the hope of restoring public confidence and keeping the Town name. In this way, our kids could play for the town's team under the Town banner.The bigwigs at the Kent County Football Association were impressed and allowed the club to retain their senior status in an historic move
in October, 2004.The decision - the first of its kind - was taken in recognition of the
efforts being made in hauling back the club from the abyss.KCFA chief executive Keith Masters wrote: "You are aware it is normal practice to remove senior status from any club that has not
participated in a recognised senior league for more than a season - as
is the case with your club.“However, the committee, recognising the efforts which are being made to restore Faversham Town, have taken the unprecedented step of
agreeing to allow the club to retain senior status."And he added: "On a personal note, I am pleased that the committee has reached this agreement which, it must be stressed, is unprecedented and without prejudice."The move was a great source of inspiration and the revival gathered momentum.
The project was now being fought on two fronts. Pat Miles, the hardest taskmaster of them all, led the massive clear-up operation at Salters Lane with real gusto while money man Ray Leader set about raising the sort of cash needed to finance the return. Pat and the boys were making great progress, but it was back-breaking work with Vaughan Howland and his tractor boys coming to the rescue on more than one occasion.
Meanwhile, the fund-raisers were making great progress with the club’s inaugural golf day, the Bob Mason Classic, a sell-out success, bringing in almost £5,000 for the revival.Indeed, the chairman’s big day is now an established event with the second annual event this summer topping last year’s tally in style.The camaraderie and goodwill at the first golf day led to the
Faversham Town Reunion in January which raised almost £1,000.These events were backed up by several other dedicated Town fund-raisers run by other organisations including the Faversham Action Forum and Faversham Town Juniors.Indeed, the public’s response to the campaign has grown with scores of local pubs and businesses donating money - most notably our local, The
Windmill in Preston.
The club's PR and marketing campaign led to two major sponsorship agreements.First, a shirt sponsorship deal was struck with Macknade Natural Garden Centre worth £20,000 over three years.Then Chaucer Consulting signed on as Town's main sponsors following a £20,000, two-year pledge by owner Bob Laslett - the shirt sponsor at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Other key partners included civil and structural engineers BSF, builders Cardy, Standen, plant hire firm Ovenden, engineering company Prentis and insurance associates Capital and County.Grant funding is central to our development and Town received £2,000 from Swale Council and £2,000 from Faversham Town Council. Donations also arrived courtesy of county councillor Jean Newman, 2004 Faversham Carnival Queen Stacie Kember and the Faversham LVA - not forgetting the thriving Faversham Town Juniors.
Another money-spinner for the club has been the hugely-successful Faversham Town 300+ Club which held its first draw in January.The monthly lottery was launched only in November but has already attracted some 250 members thanks to the hard work and diligence of
committee man Bob Heward.Townsfolk have also made a fashion statement by snapping up items from the club's 2005 range of clothing. Fans can now buy everything from
replica shirts to ties all emblazoned with our club crest.
But what of Salters Lane - the spiritual home of football in this small corner of east Kent?The club's dilapidated clubhouse was demolished and the site cleared with a new temporary building taking shape as the snow fell in March.The former classroom block now boasts a main bar area and private hospitality suite that took shape thanks largely to kind-hearted Faversham firm Envirotech.The firm’s owner John Griffiths and his team of lads gave Town a massive boost by descending on Salters Lane for more than a MONTH.By this time, the club's infamous tin shed stand had aleady been consigned to the history books.The club paid for a new structure at a cost of £5,000 in readiness for the return of senior football in 2005/2006. The perimeter fence is now finally up after a drawn-out process that led to many a grey hair. A new toilet block, including disabled facilities, is also in place and the vandalised changing rooms have been completly refurbished.
The fund-raising effort has left the club within touching distance of the £39,000 that is needed to pay for the new floodlights which now stand as a monument to the club’s ambition.And all the while, our weekend warriors have been battling away in all weathers to ready the ground.Dad’s Army, as we call them, deserve tremendous praise for all their hard work and dogged determination over the past 12 months.We hesitate to name names for fear of leaving out anyone. Suffice to say, they know who they are, we know who they are and this season
should be a very special for them.
Faversham businessman Terry Streatfield who, together with brothers Gary and John, have taken the project to new heights thanks to their drive, passion and overwhelming sense of community.Yet they have shunned publicity at every turn.Away from the work at Salters Lane, the most significant development was spearheaded by Peter Clarke.Treasurer Peter made light of the very difficult task of reverting Town’s status to that of a members’ club,and on April 11th, 2005, club chiefs effectively gifted Faversham Town back to local people under a brand new FA constitution.All this, in just over 12 MONTHS and a mere 15 MONTHS since the
Faversham Town Independent Supporters Club was born.After the lowest ebb in our history, Faversham Town can once again hold its head high. But don’t for one second think this is the end of the story.
The return of senior football has driven the restoration project but
the big picture is far more wide ranging.We want Salters Lane to be busy EVERY night of the week, providing kids with the platform to fulfill their wildest sporting dreams.New pitches and an artificial surface serviced by a modern, purpose-built clubhouse may sound like a pipe-dream to some. But in truth, there were those who said football would NEVER again be played
at Salters Lane. The fact that we are now operating a highly-successful business with two thriving teams at a cracking stadium should see off the last cynics as we look to a bright future with renewed vigour.Faversham Town Football Club is back - our best result in 121 years.
JAMES BROWN
PICTURE:
(Top) The old clubhouse at Salters Lane was wrecked
(Bottom) The New commitee with Commercial Manager Ray Leader
All pictures courtesy of Jason Dodd