Unity

There is never true certainty in life. Even when you stack as much as you can in your favour you are never guaranteed to attain your goals, so the only strength you can add is unity and the will to achieve, and then hope you have done enough.

Keith and I have sat down and looked at the situation on many occasions since his appointment and things have certainly become clearer during the games he has overseen, which is why we were determined to ensure we did everything we could during the window. I have ensured that we had the ability financially to move players on and bring players in to give Keith the best chance to keep us in the league and I am delighted at the players we have signed.

There would be no point in doing this without a long-term plan in place and I am pleased to say that Keith has agreed to stay beyond the end of the season regardless of where the team finds itself. That shows the belief we have in him and the belief he has in us, and adds to the determination we all have in staying up. However, if we stumble, we must have a plan to bounce back and that is now in place, and we can do that from a sustainable financial base ensuring we can compete wherever we find ourselves. I couldn’t risk the football club’s future on a gamble by borrowing monies, so we have worked within the constraints of the EFL loan and that has been very difficult, but possible.

We have worked within the parameters of a club breaking even on its own income after years of investment and a dream of reaching the Championship, but that shouldn’t come with a heavy price for the club, which is why we are at breakeven with a smaller budget. Putting circa £1-million per season into the club just to keep it afloat makes no financial sense and puts the club at risk of being unviable and we all know what happens when clubs can’t afford to operate. The work behind the scenes to get us to breakeven has obviously been impacted by several outside events, but we have got there.

I can understand some unrest amongst a section of fans, and I have no problem with you protesting against me. If that makes you feel happier and gets it off your chest, fair enough, but please do not disrupt anymore games. That is not fair on Keith or the players. My door has always been open to any fan who wants to come and discuss any topic and remains open, whether that is as a group or an individual basis.

We continue to financially support the club and that is crucial for the remainder of the season. The battle is not just on the pitch, but off it as we work towards our survival in League Two. We all need to get behind what will be a new group of players and a long-term manager's plan, through what will almost certainly be a rollercoaster ride for the next 18 games. We can’t fear failure this season but try and use that fear to give us the drive and strength from the terraces which will then give us the will and purpose to support the team and get the results we need.

The football club must progress as a sustainable entity and if I can’t put the excess money in to ensure it does move forward as such I will step aside and let someone else invest in the club. However, I haven’t found that investor yet, but continue to accept interest from several groups. In the meantime, I am continuing to hold the club together and will stay and do whatever I need to help it, until such a day as someone else wants it and has the money to run it.

Your Chairman,

Peter Swann
UTI