Simon Leslie: Immense tension and energy – let’s have more of that

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We’ll be looking to continue our impressive form this weekend as we take on Boreham Wood at ReachTV Stadium, writes Eastbourne Borough owner Simon Leslie.

Tomorrow’s match should be another thrilling encounter between two good sides.

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A few weeks ago, Boreham Wood got the better of us in the FA Cup tie, so this league clash gives us a chance for some quick revenge.

In front of our noisy supporters, we put on a great show last Saturday. A special thank you goes to our fans who sang their hearts out until the 90th minute.

A flashpoint in the Eastbourne Borough v Toquay game - what talking points will this Saturday's Boreham Wood clash bring? Picture: Lydia RedmanA flashpoint in the Eastbourne Borough v Toquay game - what talking points will this Saturday's Boreham Wood clash bring? Picture: Lydia Redman
A flashpoint in the Eastbourne Borough v Toquay game - what talking points will this Saturday's Boreham Wood clash bring? Picture: Lydia Redman

We secured a hard-fought draw against Torquay and while we didn’t come away with the win, the team fought hard and there were many positives to take. It was a tight contest, and as we all know, football is often decided by fine margins.

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The tension and energy in the ground was immense. The players fed off that support. Same again tomorrow.

We had a few setbacks. Brad Barry had to limp off and we had to shuffle our defence again, having already lost Moussa before kick-off.

But football is all about the team, and despite individual performances standing out, it’s the collective effort that matters most.

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Adam Murray’s squad is coming together well, and it’s the depth of and cohesion of this squad that will be crucial as we go deeper into the season.

We remain in a strong position in the league, but we know there’s a lot of football to be played. There are areas to improve, particularly in taking more of our chances, but I’m confident the hunger and determination in this squad will see us move forward stronger.

We have a lot of games between now and the end of November. We continue to listen to the fans and on Bonfire Night we have reduced all tickets to the home game v Welling to just £5 (by the time the taxman, security, the four officials and staff have been paid – this will not cover it). Let’s fill the stadium, eat, drink and be merry and have a night to remember.

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We now focus on our next challenge, and it’s important we carry the lessons from last weekend into tomorrow. Every fixture is an opportunity to solidify our position near the top of the table.

Off the pitch, I’ve been overwhelmed by positive feedback about our project.

Last week, one of my global business partners, the global communication company, Viasat, reached out after hearing me mention on a podcast the huge cost of new goals. They generously offered to fund the goals and even donated bobble hats for our Spirit of Football team.

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Acts of kindness like this are what make these partnerships so valuable. I know Andrew Tucknott of Tomsetts and Dan Goodwin of DP Goodwin have already seen the benefit of partnering with the club.

A huge thank you to all that have supported us so far this year. We are a quarter way through the season and still have lots of opportunities for people to get involved, James Hopkins has joined us and is on a mission to get local businesses on board.

Let’s recreate last week’s noise tomorrow and finish the month on a high.

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