withinterview steve isherwood

you Have oTHer business inTeresTs, so HoW – and WHy – did you end up beComing CHairman oF HayWards HeaTH ToWn FC?

I had been watching from the stands on and off for about six or seven years. In 2017 my eldest son joined what was at the time the clubs U12 team. The youth element at Haywards Heath Town FC only had two sides at that juncture then myself, my wife and some of our other youth footballing friends started to get involved a bit more.

In 2019, we brought over my younger son’s team who are currently the clubs U14 side and other teams followed. We have now established twelve youth teams from U8 to U18 with more to be added for the 23/24 season including women’s and girls sides. The senior club could see what we were doing with the youth section, and I was approached on numerous occasions to join the committee which I was reluctant to do for various reasons. It was however becoming more and more apparent that the club was in serious trouble and we felt we couldn’t stand by after growing the youth to watch the seniors slide back down the pyramid. We made the decision in conjunction with a couple of people already within the club to contact the then club secretary and existing chairman, notifying them of our willingness and commitment to get the club on an even keel and address the numerous problems it faced both internally and externally.

THere musT be a loT oF CHallenges Taking on suCH a projeCT, given THe CurrenT and ongoing FinanCial ClimaTe THrougHouT THe uk. HoW do Clubs survive and progress in THese Times?

By being forward thinking, improving matchday experience and spend per head. Few clubs can survive on match day income alone so we have external rents, facility hire, events etc. It is a constant juggling act between playing costs, improvements and we are also on catch up in terms of maintenance.

are THe oFF-Field CommerCial opporTuniTies more imporTanT THan ever noW For semi-proFessional organisaTions suCH as HayWards HeaTH ToWn FC?

It is massive and fundamental to have a competitive and growing club. We are open to any ideas, suggestions or contacts and are lucky to have Paul Stone our commercial director on board. Our current revenue streams dwarf where we were two years ago in terms of sponsorship, events etc.

WHaT is your vision For THe Club in THe nexT TWo To Five years – on and oFF THe piTCH – WHaT’s THe plan?

We now have what I consider in this arena a ‘young’ board as there are five of us ranging between the ages of 37 and 47. We are all very different which is a good blend and we look to push the club on. I have never been one to sit and make bold statements about the future, as the last few years have demonstrated, you never know what is around the corner!

What we are doing is improving every aspect of the club and building it sustainably from bottom up. We have had a lot of upheaval, and difficult calls have had to be made, for the good of the club but things are almost where we feel we need them to be and we are looking for continuity and a settled team on and off the pitch. This season alone, we’ve completely renovated the bar area, and improved the main stand to incorporate HHTFC lettering, and more importantly introduced an accessible seating area for supporters. Our next steps are to improve our catering facility, as well as look towards a 3g pitch as we’ll soon have U18’s, women’s and men’s fixtures on a weekly basis.

We’ve also launched the HHTFC foundation which is currently taking it’s first steps. We are also meeting with local schools etc, to build our profile and bring quality football training into the community,

anyTHing else To add?

We are really proud to be a community club, with men’s, women’s and youth football for children of all ages. Thank you to all the local community that support us, including many local businesses. We do however need more volunteers for matchdays, so if you feel you can support, please do get in touch with us!