It’s common for Chairpersons of clubs across all four of our divisions to wear many hats and that is certainly the case for Steve Davis at Pitching In Southern League Premier Central outfit, Berkhamsted.
A veteran of half-a-century at the club, he combines his Chairman duties with that of groundsman, a role which has certainly kept him extremely busy during the past few months as he has battled the predominantly wet winter weather.
“The groundsman side of things is pretty much voluntary,” he said. “I fit it around my full-time job so it is always a challenge, particularly in the winter months when you have to battle not only against the elements but also a lack of daylight hours.
“A good drainage system certainly helps and that’s what we are fortunate to have here, so we’ve not experienced some of the issues that clubs up and down the country have had to deal with, although it has still required plenty of effort to get games on.”
The club joined the Southern League in 2018 and after a near-miss in 2021/22 when they finished runners-up in Division One Central, they were able to take the title at the end of last term to take their place in Step 3 for the first time.
“I am very proud to see the club competing side-by-side with some big clubs,” Davis added. “It’s been a massive jump for us and we’ve give it a really good go but financially it has been a struggle with all the travelling and trying to put a team together that is competitive.
“We’re learning all of the time and we’ll continue to improve as a club. Playing at this level has opened our eyes to exactly what is expected. I’ve certainly learned a few things along the way and I’m sure that the players and staff will say the same.
“The main problem for us off-the-pitch is having the space we need to be able to improve the facilities, whilst on the field we are moving in the right direction with our performances improving all of the time.
“We’ll give it all we’ve got over these next two months and see where it takes us.
“In terms of my own aims for the club; I want to see us enter our next phase of development knowing that I’ve done all I can to ensure that the club is solvent and right at the heart of the local community.
“We have achieved much in recent history and I am looking forward to what the future holds in store.”
A trip to Stratford Town is on the agenda for Saturday.
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