In glorious May sunshine, Colin Hay sets his sights on his next target.
“My golf handicap is by far the worst it’s ever been,” he tells us with a smile as warm as the weather. “I need to put that right; this is the downside of being a football club Chairman for the past six years!”
At the end of the 2024/25 season Hay decided to step down from his role as Chair of Pitching In Southern League Division One Central outfit, Hertford Town.
Joining the club, initially as assistant manager, in 2019, he quickly became Chairman as well as fulfilling numerous other roles at the club as one of non-League football’s good guys.
“It was a fairly tough decision to stand down,” he admitted. “I considered it at the end of last season but was persuaded by a number of club volunteers to stay on.
“However, at the turn of the year I made my mind up that this would be my final season.
“The club has evolved hugely over the past six years. It now has its own Women’s team and girls’ section, a successful on-site academy for 16 to 19 year-olds and a thriving youth section, which is growing all of the time.
“The Men’s senior team is also taking forward steps too and the leadership and administration alone presents challenges with a volunteer workforce. There are so many things behind-the-scenes that people don’t realise such as stadium accreditation, club licensing and several other FA initiatives that all add to the hours of commitment required in this role.
“I’ve also turned my hand to other roles such as groundsman, where, in the early days, I had a small push-mower to cut the grass pitch. It’s considerably easier now with the 3G surface, but it still needs regular maintenance.
“I did all the kit for the first-team and both academy teams, which entails a lot of work and hours each week. This is all before you get to the matchday roles, which are also plentiful to ensure that things run smoothly and that everyone enjoys their experience of attending games at the club.
“At this level of the game, I’m afraid it’s the norm for most club Chairman. This is far removed from the glitz and glamour of higher up the football pyramid, but we do it because we care passionately about our football club and our local community.”
Hay’s final season saw the club finished just below halfway in the table with 48 points to their name.
“With the group of players we have here, we probably underachieved,” he continued. “A poor start didn’t help matters, but seeing so many academy players stepping up and making their seniors debuts provided plenty of encouragement for the future.
“Our run in the FA Youth Cup was certainly one of the highlights from my six years here. The run culminated in a very creditable 4-3 loss to Arsenal in front of almost 2,000 fans at Hertingfordbury Park. That was a proud night for the club.
“Hopefully we will see these talented youngsters making the step up. The standard of Division One Central is improving all of the time. It came as little surprise to see Real Bedford and Berkhamsted leading the way, but beyond that it’s extremely competitive.
“I must say that I was surprised to see our friends at Kings Langley relegated, but at the same time I was equally chuffed for the nice people at Leverstock Green who stayed up. Next season will be equally as competitive, I’m sure.”
So, what’s next for Colin Hay?
“I am going to be taking a break from football,” he replied. “As I say, I need to get back onto the golf course for a while and then take things from there.
“I leave Hertford Town with the club in a considerably better place than when I took over and that’s all you can ask.
“The army of volunteers and the incredibly loyal fans will undoubtedly keep pushing it in the right direction and hopefully the new season will see the club challenging at the right end of the table.
“I would like to end by personally thanking all of the club volunteers, staff, players and fans during my six seasons as Chairman. I will be forever grateful for their unwavering support and help throughout.
“I’d also like to thank those who have reached out and wished me well since my decision to step down was announced. I’ve made so many great friends along the way and it just goes to show what a special place non-League football is.”
IMAGE: Hertford Town FC
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