As every volunteer will know, when it comes to running a successful club, there’s an awful lot to do each week, and every week.
Paul Lansdale, Chairman of Sevenoaks Town Football Club, and permanent fixture at the club, is one of those volunteers. Despite having a very busy schedule, including running his own business, Paul very kindly decided to write down his week in a diary.
From numerous phone calls, emails and meetings, to brushing the pitch, organising kits and helping the town council with their own padlocks, here is Paul’s seven-day account at Sevenoaks Town FC:
Sunday
• Empty the bins around the 3G
• Deal with team issues via email
• Email leagues and venues regarding forthcoming fixtures
• Check teams have updated league results online
• More emails including kit orders, Kent Youth League sin-bin meeting
Monday
• Get rubbish out for collection
• Brush the pitch
• Football meeting with committee
• Paper work including sending out outstanding fees email to teams
• Write nomination letter
• Deal with football emails
Tuesday
• Petrol for the mower
• Cut the grass pitch and surrounding grass areas
• Meeting with accountants
• Call to the Kent FA and Isthmian League
• Rearrange referees for Sunday fixtures
• Update fixtures for U18s and U14s
• Pay in money to bank
• Sevenoaks Town Council (STC) call as they need a key to open padlock
• Obtain kit quotes
• Prepare first team programme for the printers
Wednesday
• Brush pitch ahead of inspection
• Meet SSL to discuss how much additional rubber is needed to top up the 4G pitch. Also discuss areas where people have clearly been wearing
trainers and what the repair process is
• Order kit for web orders
• Player registrations and cautions admin
• Deal with STC insurance policy request
• Buy a new padlock for the gate
• Update database with more fees
• Submit accounts with charity commission
Thursday
• Mark 11-a-side grass pitch and five mini soccer pitches
• Empty bins around the ground ready for collection
• Pick up footballs that were kicked out of the ground the night before and not collected
• Pick up bottles that were left on the pitch after training
• Update fees, Kent FA (sin-bin) and cautions admin
Friday
• Repair black sheeting
• Tidy up around the pitch edges from youth coaching the night before
• Brush the pitch
Saturday
• First team duties including brushing the pitch
• Email teams regarding Sunday 4G usage
• Relax!!!
We absolutely take our hat off to you Paul, and all of you out there who have read this and gone “yep, I do that” and “ooh, that sounds familiar”. Without people like yourselves at the helm of many of our clubs, they simply wouldn’t survive. So give yourselves a break and let others take the strain once in a while.
