Simon Leslie: Eastbourne Borough in great shape for business end of season
As we approach the business end of the season, the next two fixtures loom large for our campaign.
Tomorrow, we welcome Hemel Hempstead Town to the ReachTV Stadium at 3pm, followed on Tuesday with the highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash against Maidstone under the floodlights (7:45pm).
It's been a mixed couple of weeks for the squad, but our home form has been exceptional this season, giving us confidence as we enter this crucial period.
I thank our supporters who have traipsed up to both Borehamwood and Enfield. Your support has been invaluable to help us on our march to the business end of the season.
And while we didn’t give you much to cheer on Saturday, Tuesday night’s 5-0 triumph at Enfield was, I believe, our biggest away win for over 20 years.
After landing back in London on Saturday lunchtime, I headed straight to Boreham Wood, and despite the loss, I could see the difference from our first game versus the Wood was like night and day.
We are a much stronger outfit now, and apart from a ten-minute spell we looked the much stronger team. It’s all about putting the ball in the net, and they did that better than we did.
After a bit of jetlag on Sunday morning I then took three trains to watch the women’s team triumph on a sunny but bitterly cold afternoon at Sussex FA HQ in Lancing;
I'm delighted to report that Eastbourne Borough Women claimed the club's first senior silverware in some time, lifting the Sussex Women's Challenge Trophy after an emphatic 13-0 victory in the final. The performance showcased beautiful football and several spectacular goals.
Congratulations to Chris Day and his coaching staff, who have guided the team to the first leg of what we hope will be a memorable treble.
As promised when I took over, we've invested significantly in both our women's and men's programmes, and it's tremendously rewarding to see this commitment bearing fruit.
A special mention to captain Kellie Larkin and Charlotte Gurr who were exceptional, but in fact all 16 players were magnificent. I cannot tell you the pride I felt watching the girls lift the trophy.
Tomorrow’s match carries special significance beyond the points at stake.
Kristian Knapp, who began his career working alongside me in London after stepping away from law studies, has generously donated tomorrow's match sponsorship to local charity Menkind.
After building a successful sales career that took him from London to Atlanta and onwards to Miami, Kristian returned to law school during the pandemic and now practices as a litigator in Texas.
His thoughtful contribution exemplifies the spirit of community that drives our club forward. It's acts of kindness like this that reinforce the importance of our mission to make football a force for good. Giving back has been etched into the ethos of all my businesses and Kristian never forgot.
I'd also like to extend my sincere gratitude to James Plaskett of JRP Direct, who has recently joined us on this journey. I'm excited about the special initiatives we'll be developing together in the coming months.
This is undoubtedly an expensive period for the club as we push for success on multiple fronts.
Any support – whether through coming to a match, enjoying a beer and a burger in the Sports Bar and Grill, or coming to watch a band, comedy or even play bingo or bowls – is enormously appreciated. Your backing makes a genuine difference as we strive to achieve our ambitions both on and off the pitch.
Let’s fill the stadium tomorrow and show why Eastbourne deserves two promotions this year.