Chatham Town
FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/FOOTYFOCUSMAG
Chatham Town
FOOTBALL CLUB
Chatham 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 Chairman Kevin Hake to find out more about the
good work they’ve been doing lately.
Involvement
He told us, “I have always in a
roundabout way been involved with the
club all my footballing life, some of my
earliest football memories are playing
for my local boys team, Chatham Colts,
in cup finals at Chatham Town FC when
I was 9.
It was the first club my father took me
to and I can still remember that magical
feeling of chasing after the ball as it went
into the standing area behind the goal.
When the opportunity came along to be
involved with my local team I couldn’t
turn it down.”
The Role
“The challenging aspects of this role
are to continue building the club at a
rate that the demand requires. We are
building at a good rate at the present, the
foundations of the club are very much
youth orientated.
Eighteen months ago we had one
team playing in the Kent Youth League,
next season we will be represented at all
age groups, this means that we can begin
to attract the best talent to this football
club which is vital.
We have a great youth set up now
which rivals the best in Kent which
26 Issue 83
means we will no longer lose local talent
to other teams.
It’s incredibly rewarding when
I see any Chatham Town team win
as everyone’s hard work has been
worthwhile. However, this is not always
the case but it is still comforting to
know that we have provided a facility
that benefits the local community and
visiting teams which in today’s society is
incredibly important.”
Present
“The mood of the club is great; both
on and off the field there is a shared
vision that this is a club on the rise again.
Attendances are up 25% on last season
to date and that is largely to do with the
success of the club on the field and also
the improvements we have made off the
field.
The season has gone well so far, we
are currently still in three competitions
and have reached our first cup final in
twenty years. The main aim on the field
is to push for promotion to the Bostik
League but it would be lovely to put a
cup in the trophy cabinet mainly for
the supporters who have waited far too
long to see success at Chatham Town.
Regardless of how the season finishes we
are proud to say that Chatham Town is
back on the map.”