Fan engagement and cup final anticipation on the Kent Football Show
A look at the positive impact supporters are having at Chatham Town FC is one of the inspiring stories featured in the latest edition of the Kent Football Show.
The edition also hears from the Ebbsfleet United captain ahead of the Kent Senior Cup final and goes behind the scenes at NHS kickabout sessions, Kent FA’s Referee Appointments Evening and the recent International Women’s Day Football Extravaganza.
Gary Hake, General Manager at Chatham Town, speaks to Kent Football Show host Kweku Afari about their men’s first team’s rise up the non-league pyramid and plans to continue growing the club in the future.
“We owe our success and a big thanks to our community, to our supporters and to everyone in the area who’s backed the club and increased crowd numbers,” Gary tells Kweku, as the pair catch up in the Bauvill Stadium dressing rooms.
“Also to the sponsors who’ve put money into the club and to the supporters who take the time to follow the team home and away.
“It’s a bit of cliché to say supporters are the 12th man, but I really do think that’s a huge thing down here for us.
“This club means so much to so many, and people spend their whole week talking about Chatham Town and can’t wait to get here on a matchday; we even have people who turn up on a random Wednesday afternoon to wander round and have a cup of tea in the hope they might see a player or get to speak to one of the coaching staff.
“The club’s a huge part of people’s lives and we didn’t really notice how big it was until the year of Covid 19, when a lot of people were reliant on the club.
“We did a lot of things for community to get them through Covid and I think they’ve reciprocated that back to us and shown their thanks.”
Gary also outlines Chatham’s ambitions to take their men’s first team into the English Football League, continue developing their facilities and build on their community and youth work.
He chats to Kweku about how the club is working with Kent Police and the Ben Kinsella Trust to reduce knife crime and violence in the area.
“Because we’re a community club, we feel very strongly that we can do something with our community to reduce violence in the area and reduce knife crime,” Gary continues.
“We’ve got lots of initiatives we run throughout the week to basically open the doors to children, get them off the streets and get them involved in football and show them there’s a life away from violence.”
Also on Episode Seven of the award-winning Kent Football Show, sponsored by Kent Reliance:
- Female footballers celebrate International Women’s Day together at a special football festival incorporating several different formats of the game.
- Ebbsfleet United’s Rakish Bingham on his side’s preparations for the Kent Senior Cup final at Priestfield.
- Vintage Anchorians take on the Ultimate Target Challenge.
- Appointments are made for the match officials who will oversee the 25 upcoming County Cup finals in Kent.
- Hear about the health benefits of NHS Kickabouts.
- Coaches Corner with David Webb, Kent FA’s Football Participation Lead (Workforce).
- A big thank you to volunteers who have gone the extra mile in Kent football.
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