Slough Town's board of directors provide update for fans on club's progress

Scott Davies with supporters. Photo: George Beck.

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Slough Town's board of directors have provided supporters with an update on the club's progress both on and off the field as the season reaches its halfway point.

After a difficult start to the campaign the Rebels have recovered nicely in the National League South, with Saturday's 3-0 home win over Taunton Town lifting Scott Davies' side to 16th in the table - nine points above the drop zone and only eight points off the play-offs ahead of this evening's trip to Bath City.

The update also gives details of the progress being made by the club off the field, with match-day revenues up significantly from last season.

Attendances have also improved with fans seemingly taking to the Rebels style of play under Davies. Having steered them to safety in the final weeks of last season, he's built a squad that looks capable of challenging for a top half finish, or possibly even more, in the second half of the season, while the A23 Football Group - who've been in charge for six months now - are likely to invest further in the playing squad this coming summer.

It read: “We are now at the halfway point of the season, so I thought I would take this opportunity to provide a review of the season to date. It has also been six months since the change of ownership, with A23 Football Group taking over.

“On the pitch, we have seen vast changes, with a number of new players, and naturally, with a new manager, a change in playing style. This has resulted in some thrilling games, attributable to Scott's confidence in testing all our opponents and attacking each game with a 'want to win' attitude.

“Our aim in the summer was to build a squad that would allow us to improve from the 2022/23 performance but has the scope to mature and grow in line with the club's development off the pitch, enabling us to be in a position to compete for promotion with a sustainable model. The FA Cup run allowed the players to showcase themselves, and the club to appeal to a wider audience, certainly offering some momentum that the squad carried through to their league form.

Unlike on the pitch, our development and performance behind the scenes are sometimes hard to see, particularly in commercial activities and non-match day business. We are undoubtedly experiencing some early success with more commercial partnerships and larger attendances to date - we have seen a 70% increase from the first 16 fixtures compared to 2022/23.

When A23 Football Group embarked on the journey, it was paramount that we didn't rush things and preserved everything positive about the club. Key to this was retaining both Mike Lightfoot and Kay Lathey, both of whom have a wealth of knowledge about all things Slough Town. There are also many other excellent people continuously going above and beyond to ensure we reach and maintain our high standards.

At this time of the year, everyone is keen to look forward and ask: what's next? 2024 might prove to be a significant milestone in the club's history and one that provides huge growth opportunities. Having been involved with football on a daily basis for over 20 years, I've learned that being patient is part of the journey. I do hope to bring you a positive update on this in the coming months.

Our appetite to be active and visible in the community has seen us building our network and meeting numerous different groups, now underpinned by our newly-formed trust 'Slough Town in the Community,' led by Adrian Gomm.

Football clubs are defined by people. Some might say footballers, but for me, the supporters are the most consistent representation of clubs. Being a Rebel is infectious, and the togetherness transfers onto the pitch and is captured by the players. I have been overwhelmed by the support and energy towards the board and the willingness to see us succeed for Slough Town since arriving!

Here's to a prosperous 2024. COYR!