Football Focus FF86 WEB | Page 48

Harlow Town FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/FOOTYFOCUSMAG Harlow Town FOOTBALL CLUB Harlow Town FC is a fine example of the important role that a club can play in their local community. Football Focus Magazine recently caught up with their Head of Football Operations Shan Toms to find out how they’ve been getting along lately. He told us, “I’ve been with the club for just over a year now, starting last June. I’ve really enjoyed my time here up to now; my background is in commercial finance and this is a very unique business compared to the others I’ve been a part of. It throws different daily challenges at you and can be very difficult in terms of trying to raise money but I’ve loved every second. There is a great set of people here, football is my passion and I love being a part of it. “We’ve got a great atmosphere at the club at the moment. There is a small team here running the club with a superb dynamic. We’re 48 Issue 86 currently preparing for the new season and as a business we are open seven days a week so there is always a lot going on. The group of players we have have been training for a month and we’re very excited about the new season. We’re slowly putting a team together that can really compete and our main ambition is to gain promotion. “We try and participate in the community as much as possible. We work quite closely with a lot of the local schools and also take part in a lot of community events. We also have the commercial side to the business with a marquee and function space available for the whole community to use. That is a key part of generating the revenue we need to keep the club afloat. If anyone is interesting in using our facilities we’re always happy to facilitate your needs so just get in touch and we’ll be able to discuss your requirements. “Youth development is a massive part of the work we do here and we’re fortunate to have a superb youth section. We have a clear pathway for players to develop into senior football and we want to help as many players as possible to make the step up. It is difficult for players