Farnham Town Chairman Harry Hugo has penned the following letter to our supporters ahead of the upcoming Southern League Premier South Play-Offs.
What a season it has been.
Before I turn the attention over to the biggest game in the 120-year history of the football club, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has contributed towards where we find ourselves.
We continue to raise the bar off the field to help sustain the rapid rise we’re going through on the field. Attendances have increased by 27% on last season and with that come increased demand for food, drink and hospitality from fans on matchdays. Our terrific matchday staff and volunteers have continued to step up and deliver a smooth and seamless operation every week that we can be proud of and that visiting club committees and fans alike all credit as one of the best and most hospitable grounds they visit each year.
Twice this season, we broke our attendance record, most recently with a 2,300 sell-out for the visit of Sutton United in the Emirates FA Cup in October, the highlight of our run to the Fourth Qualifying Round, the furthest we have ever progressed in the competition, a testament to the rallying and ever-growing support the town is showing our football club.
Cup competitions have always been important to us as we look to bring success and silverware to Farnham Town. For the second time in three seasons, we advanced to the final of the Surrey Senior Cup where last week we beat Merstham on penalties to lift the trophy for the first time with several hundred Farnham Town fans cheering us on. It was a night that will live long in the memories of everyone associated with the Club.
There aren’t enough words that can be said about how much admiration we at the Club have for the job that Paul Johnson, his staff and the players have done over this season. The last two months especially, having averaged a game every three days between February 21st and April 25th, the sheer relentlessness and determination the group have shown over that time to keep digging deep and going again every few days in pursuit of league and cup glory is remarkable. It would have been very easy, and understandable, for the team to have wilted down the stretch. But not this group. This group continues to find ways to win and give it their all right to the very end. And for that, we applaud you.
As Johno likes to say, the league is always our bread and butter. With a second place finish now locked in and a home play-off semi-final to look forward to on Wednesday night, now’s as good a time as any to reflect on the position we are in.
I know a lot gets made about our club and our resources and all the things we do – a lot of outside noise. But I can honestly say that four years ago walking into the club, never in my wildest dreams did I think that we’d find ourselves with the opportunity we have so soon in our journey, sitting potentially 180 minutes away from earning a place in the National League South.
We had a five-year plan to make it to Step 3 of the English League System, and we were able to achieve that in just three years, culminating in back-to-back promotions in 2023/24 and 2024/25 pushing us into the Southern League Premier South.
If I have been one thing over the last four years, I like to think I have always been honest and transparent with the fans and with the football community about our club and our ambitions.
Make no mistake, we went into the 23/24 season in the Combined Counties Premier South with the infrastructure and the intention to win that division comfortably. And we did so, going the entire league campaign unbeaten, winning 35 of our 38 games, setting a new English football record for most consecutive league victories to start a season with 25 as we earned promotion to Step 4 for the first time ever.
Upon promotion to the Isthmian South Central, we approached the 24/25 season again with the infrastructure and belief in place that we were equipped enough to mount a strong challenge for the league. And we did so, eclipsing 100 points for the second consecutive season and finishing 20 points clear of second place as we booked our place in Step 3 for the first time ever.
This season however, we knew this would be the biggest jump of them all. There are a small handful of full-time clubs in this league, as well as many other clubs who have been established at Step 3 level or higher for decades. This was always going to be a litmus test for us as a club both on the field and off it to see how well we can compete with some majorly reputable football clubs.
Unlike the last two campaigns, we entered this season with the sole objective of being competitive. That’s all we could ask of the group. Maybe if things went our way and we got on a run, maybe we could make a push for the Play-Offs. We don’t have the biggest budget in the league. But we have competitive resources and we had momentum on our side, which I believe is just as important and influential as a pound note.
Just look at some of the teams in the division and how their seasons went. Massive clubs like Weymouth and Dorchester Town, relegated. Havant & Waterlooville are a full-time operation and have as much financial muscle as anyone in the division, miles off the pace. There are plenty of teams in this league that have sizeable and competitive playing budgets, not just us as some will want you to believe. It just goes to show that money isn’t everything.
Pretty much every week, I’ll log onto X and find some wise guy or three replying to me, or the Club, saying this and that about our Club, our budget, how “embarrassing” it would be if we don’t win the league, reveling in a result that didn’t go our way, or some other strange quip against us for no real reason. To them I say – carry on. It genuinely brightens my Sunday morning.
I’ve been so impressed by the way this group have gelled this season and did so incredibly swiftly, illustrated by our strong start to the season going 15 matches unbeaten to start the campaign before falling to an extra-time defeat at Sutton United in the FA Cup.
It hasn’t all been plane sailing, we have had our bumps along the way, especially in the winter, but after the turn of the year this team has really stabilized and rounded into a quality outfit that everyone associated to Farnham Town can be proud of.
A run of eight straight wins from the end of January through the middle of March gave us a punchers chance of making the title race a conversation, but it wasn’t to be, and I’d like to congratulate Walton & Hersham on a superb campaign from start to finish and I wish them well in the National League South next season.
From then on, it was about Play-Off positioning and could we find a way to secure a home tie in the semi-final. The fixture pile-up made it difficult, games have been tough and gone right to the wire, but the never-say-day attitude of this group has been on show throughout. Stoppage time goals against Dorchester Town, Havant & Waterlooville and Hanwell Town proved vital in our pursuit of second place, and it’s that sort of attitude we’re going to need in the Play-Offs.
The win at Tiverton Town on Saturday cemented second place for us, our highest-ever end of season league finish in the English League System which in itself is a crazy accomplishment.
Looking ahead to the summer, the last thing we ever want to do is stand still. After opening of the Sir Alan Jones Stand sponsored by Howden earlier this year, we have more ground improvements lined up once our season is complete.
Two new stands will be built and installed next month. Our turnstiles will be ripped out and modernised. Further improvements will be made to our clubhouse and hospitality areas. And as part of our new kit deal with Adidas, we will be building a new walk-in club shop on site at The Memorial Ground with an expanded range of merchandise and leaisurewear.
In my eyes, being “good enough” isn’t good enough. We want to be exemplary. That’s what we are striving for. Continually improving our matchday experience as the club and fanbase grows remains the number one priority for us each and every year.
After the season, we will be holding our annual Fans Forum at the clubhouse on Monday June 1st. Doors will open at 7PM and we look forward to seeing many of you down there to talk about the future of the football club.
But the season is not done yet.
Wednesday night at The Memorial Ground is the biggest game in our 120-year history. There’s no other way to frame it. An opportunity to get into the National League South is in our grasp and we need you with us, cheering the boys on every minute of the game.
We have enjoyed many magical nights in Farnham over the last four years. This one has the potential to be the biggest and most memorable one of them all. Just be there – tickets on sale now.