Good Afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Marston Road for the opening fixture of the belated 2020/21 season.

Since lockdown I have been overwhelmed with the amounts raised by both shareholder and fan alike to keep the club afloat. It has simply been an outstanding effort. We cannot rest on our laurels. With restricted gate numbers and reduced revenue as a result and the lack of social club income, we must maximise every opportunity to raise revenue.

I am so grateful to our existing sponsors for renewing their deals. Without them we would be unable to provide Jody with a competitive playing budget. We also welcome Harlequin Teamwear Ltd and Dolphin Lifts Midlands Ltd as major new sponsors. As you will be aware Liam and Jason from Harlequin have provided all our new first team home and away strips. They look fabulous and it is so pleasing to see so many fans wearing the shirts already. Thank you to Stan Robinson, ACT Fasteners, Abbey Polymers and Stafford Hyundai for continuing with their shirt and shorts advertising. In addition, we have brand new training kit and wet tops, provided, and sponsored by Harlequin. Finally, our new tracksuits will be sponsored by Dolphin Lifts Midlands Ltd and we would like to thank Lee and Norman Farrington for their support and look forward to a long and mutually rewarding partnership with them.

In my new role it is my intention to bring all the footballing factions together under one umbrella. I am delighted to confirm that both the U21s and U18s development sides will play in the new strips and attend home and away games in our club tracksuits. It is the ultimate intention to have all junior teams representing our fantastic club, all kitted out in our strip and tracksuits by the start of the following season.

Finally, with pre-season concluded I can sense the level of expectation around the club. The brand of football played, against some quality opposition, and player recruitment bodes well for the season ahead.

Let’s give Jody and his team the level of support I associate with Stafford Rangers

Up the Boro

Andy

We would like to thank all Season Ticket Holders who took time to confirm their attendance for the first home game of the season.

We can confirm that we have a total of 250 confirmations made up of season tickets, junior members and Ashton fans. We therefore anticipate that we will have a maximum of 350 tickets available for purchase on the gates for SRFC fans. Once again season ticket holders can help us by arriving at the ground, if possible, by 2.15pm to further assist us in controlling numbers. Season Ticket holders will access through Gate A and will not need to provide any further information as we hold records for everyone.

Gate C will be open for Concessions and Gate D for everyone else. Anyone accessing through gate C or D will be asked by a steward positioned in front of the gate for their name and contact numbers, before proceeding through the gate. We would ask everyone to allow a little extra time and we will facilitate this as quickly as possible.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions we have had to reduce the number of seats available for fans who wish to sit in the stand. As we can’t use every row of seats and will need to manage individual bubbles or groups to ensure social distancing, we will need to manage where people sit and ask for your patience and co-operation. This will undoubtedly mean that some people who normally wish to sit in the stand will be disappointed. Everyone sitting in the stand will need to wear a mask.

We ask all fans standing around the ground to please ensure you social distance and play your part in ensuring Marston Road is as safe as it can possibly be.

Your safety is our primary concern and we thank you for your help. It has been a difficult time for everyone but despite the challenges we look forward to a great season with enthusiasm and a passion to succeed.

Up The Boro

In relation to this game and the ever changing dynamics and advice in respect of Covid-19, we would advise all fans that we will be taking names and contact numbers for everyone entering the stadium to ensure we fulfil all our Track & Trace requirements.

Season Ticket holder details are already held by the club so they can access through gate A as normal without providing any additional information.

Any other fan paying at the turnstiles C or D will need to provide their name and contact number to a steward positioned in front of the gate before they can go through. This will obviously take a little time so we ask all fans to be patient and give themselves more time to access the ground than they normally would.

The safety of all our fans is of paramount importance.