du N s Table To WN f.c.

Creasey Park Drive, Brewers Hill Road, Dunstable, Beds LU6 1BB

Dunstable Town FC is a Community Benefit Society. It is registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 Registration Number 8667 as Dunstable Town Football Club Ltd dire C tors

Andrew Madaras

Chair / Secretary / Director of Community Activities & Matchday Operations

Matt Carrington - Vice Chair / Treasurer

Neil Barker - Director of Partnerships

Peter Bottom

Supporters’ Groups Director / Fundraising Manager

Gary Levy - Director of Football

Kristy Lewington

Director of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity

Lee Nania

Director of CBS Growth & Marketing / Business Consultant

Julian Nutley

Commercial & Marketing Director / Business Consultant

Dan Roberts

Director of Specialist Community Projects

C ommunity bene F it so C iety team

Adrian Witkowski - Membership Administrator

Yvonne Verla - Mental Health Ambassador

Ian Bateman - Walking Football

Patrick Mackay - Walking Group

Lee Nutley - Chums and Crumbs

Andrew Madaras - Sphere at the Glider

Lou Goodman - Volunteer

C oa C hing sta FF

Joe Deeney - Head Coach

Kyle Durcan - Assistant Head Coach

Anthony Christophi - Coach

Ayub Nabongo - U18s

Adam Ashton - Physio/Sports Therapist

Steve Lewington - Kitman

C lub o FF i C ers & o FF i C ials

Brad Cawthorne - Digital Manager

Jeffrey Roy - International Supporters’ Ambassador

Abby Slough - Marketing & Advertising Manager

Liam Smith - Events Manager

Wayne Upton - Community Activities media team

Brad Cawthorne - Website/DTFC TV

Chris White & Liam Smith - Club Photographers

Matt Carrington - Social Media

Abby Slough - Instagram

Richard Scott - Programme Editor

Fly Design & Print - Programme Printing m at C hday t eam

Wayne Upton - Matchday Manager

Brad Cawthorne - Matchday Cameraman

Andrew Madaras - Match Reporter

Amanda Madaras - Turnstile Manager

Dan Roberts - Matchday Merchandise

George Lewington - Matchday DJ

Chris Gray - Matchday Steward

Bradley Field & Mark Williams - Stewards youth se C tion

Andrew Madaras - Chair

Wayne Upton - Vice Chair

Kristy Lewington - Secretary/Club Welfare Officer

Christian Baxter - Treasurer

Steve Chiswell - Assistant Welfare Officer

Wayne Upton & Joe Le Vien - Football Development

Jeff Abraham - Parents Representative

Karl Clarke & Steve Lewington - Social Media

Welcome to the management, players, supporters, and all associated with Ardley United ahead of this afternoon’s league clash. Ardley United come into this game unbeaten in 6 league games and are a side I’ve always been impressed with. They have vast experience in the squad and present a tough challenge today in what is a vital game for us. It always feels like teams seem to hit form just before we play them which will hopefully ensure we are well up for the test.

Our last home game against St Panteleimon feels a lifetime ago when in reality it’s been 3 weeks. Despite the 1-0 loss I felt we deserved more but as I have said to the players its only fairy tales where you get what you deserve. We had enough chances to win 5 games of football never mind 1 but their GK was absolutely outstanding and we were left to reflect on “if only”.

We have 22 league games to play as well as a cup semi-final and all inside 12 weeks. You don’t need to be Rachel

Riley to work out we are going to have an extremely busy few months. Whilst some might see it as a huge hinderance I am really looking forward to it. I have moaned about a lack of games, and I would rather have too many than not enough. Nothing quite matches the feeling of a game of Football at 3pm on a Saturday or 7:45pm on a Tuesday! Luckily, we all now have lots of these games to look forward to!

The mini break might have done us some benefit as it has given us a great opportunity to assess every single individual in the squad. We have had 2 full blooded 11v11 internal games over the last 2 Saturdays. I would like to pay tribute to our Chairman Andrew Madaras for facilitating the pitches on both occasions. Neil Barker’s dedication has been a different class. Neil attends every training session without fail. Each week I run around coaching with about 18 layers on as well as a hat and Neil is in his Dunstable jacket watching and supporting despite the Baltic conditions.

I can’t help but admire that level of dedication. Last week it was -5 degrees, 30+ players training in icy conditions and there was Andrew Madaras, Neil Barker and Steve Lewington watching, I was freezing looking at them! It just goes to show the level of support I receive as the Manager. Our club is full of great people which feeds our hunger to get us winning consistently and flying up the table.

I want to express my gratitude to our wonderful Kit man Steve Lewington. Where most kitmen have had plenty of time off, Steve has had his workload doubled in the last 2 weeks and has been exemplary in his delivery as always. Without Steve the internal games wouldn’t have anywhere near the same intensity. Put an 11v11 on with bibs and it does literally become a training game. Put the lads in full match kits and the games were lively to say the least. That is why all of us coaches and players believe we have the best kitman in the business.

I have watched both games back several times and let me tell you there was nothing friendly about those games. The demands were sky high, the tempo excellent and the tackles were as tenacious as ever. The games were designed to see who we could take forwards for the last 3 months of the season.

I am a manager who loves every single one of my players contrary to what some may feel. They feel at times like my children and the amount of time we have spent together good and bad creates a bond. Irrespective of how much I like them personally the harsh reality is this is no time to be nostalgic! All I care about is winning games and it as simple as that! There isn’t time to have players that lack competitive aggression or players that duck out of headers or dangle legs at tackles. Our error count has been far too high this season which has cost us. It is now purely survival of the fittest.

The realities of football are cruel but so is life. Speak to any manager and they will tell you the same things. 1-11 are the most important on a matchday, 1216 are also very important in terms of the ability to make tweaks or changes. Anyone outside the 16 on a matchday is unable to help us win which is never easy for any player to accept but unfortunately that’s the truth. Our job is to make decisions and I have never been frightened to make some unpopular ones. I realised very early in my Managerial career that Football Management is not a popularity contest. If you worry about being popular you will never be able to make tough decisions.

I genuinely mean it when I say how much your support helps us all. You all create a great atmosphere home and away and really helps our players push through tough moments.

I watch loads of games at other clubs at this level and have been at games where it feels like I am the only one there. The lack of atmosphere at so many other grounds go to show why the support you all provide is so special and critical.

Please keep your fantastic support coming for us all. Our average attendance is up to 231 which is more than we could have expected this season. Whatever the weather we seem to always have such a great support and that is testimony to you all both home and away. We will give everything in our quest to get where we want to all be.

Joe Deeney

Good afternoon, everyone and welcome back to Creasey Park for this afternoon’s fixture v Ardley Utd. A warm welcome to our opponents who have travelled from Oxfordshire and who are currently on a fine run of form. We hope they enjoy their afternoon with us and have a safe journey home come five o’clock.

The corresponding fixture in October was, to put it politely, “incident filled” A stoppage time equalizer for the hosts ended our seven game winning run, with incidents earlier in the game provoking serious debate among the many Blues fans there that evening.

Three months have passed since that fixture and I hope very much that this afternoon we get to see a good game from two sides who like to entertain and play the right way.

It’s three weeks since we last played a competitive match. The defeat at home to St Panteleimon was one of those games where even unbiased observers said we were the better team and should have won by a clear margin. A soft penalty was our undoing and a display of Tomaszewski-esque goalkeeping (those of a certain vintage will understand the reference) denied our forwards time after time.

Thankfully despite the severe weather we’ve had the players have had in-house matches on consecutive Saturdays to keep sharp and stay fit.

Our U18s kept up their impressive run, following on from their 3-0 victory over Luton Town Cedars with a fine 3-1 victory over Colney Heath last Monday. Two goals from Caleb Capone and one from Ashley Harris saw us through. A reminder that the lads play AFC’s U18s here at Creasey Park next Wednesday (1st February) Season Ticket holders get free admission so please come down and support the stars of tomorrow.

Off the field there’s been plenty of action. You’ll notice the new portacabin next to the Aaron Bateman stand. It’s still to be decked out in DTFC colours, but this will serve as our CBS HQ. As we continue to grow and expand the range and number of community groups it’s imperative we have a home for them. That’s the primary purpose of the cabin, but it will also enable us to provide corporate hospitality on matchdays, and somewhere private for Joe to meet with his coaching team and players.

Our Youth Section coaches will also be able to meet there so the cabin will be at the disposal of all sections of the Club.

In the programme there is an advert to promote our partnership with More Life, who have been commissioned by Central Bedfordshire Council to help and support people who are wanting to lose weight. Most of you by now are aware of our programme, Improving the Lives of Others, which underpins the Club’s philosophy as a Community Benefit Society.

The very first group we established was the Walking Football group. Our intention was to attract, among others, middle-aged people at risk of developing the types of chronic medical conditions that can reduce life expectancy and restrict independence and quality of life. Obesity & Type 2 diabetes were two of the conditions we had identified, and both can be treated with diet and exercise.

We hope that our partnership with More Life will attract more players who want to shed some inches from waistlines and enjoy a better quality of life.

I’m delighted to inform you that we have our first owner from Spain. Mark Rees became a Silver owner last week. He’s a Villa fan and although living in Southern Spain still gets over to the UK two or three times a year and will make sure on one of those trips he comes to Creasey Park to support the boys.

Peter Bottom is arranging a Charity Football Match which will take place on Sunday 21st May at Creasey. I’ve been fortunate enough to see what’s being planned, so I can say with confidence that you will be thoroughly entertained on the day, so please make a note of it in your diaries. It’s a joint event Peter’s arranging with the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital fundraising team with proceeds from the event being evenly shared with the Hospital and the Club’s community groups.

On Mondays Arone Thasan has started a DTFC Darts team which is already drawing good numbers. They’re already established in a League and will be playing their matches on Thursdays. We’re away at Hoddesdon on Tuesday night and Arlesey next Saturday, 4th February. The following Tuesday, 7th February, Cockfosters are our opponents here at Creasey and we then play Hoddesdon again, this time at home on Saturday 11th February. It would be great to see you at those matches if you can make it. Your support this season has been phenomenal, thank you.

Enjoy today’s match, be loud, be proud, but please be respectful to our opponents and our Match Officials.

“In spite of it all, life is beautiful”

Andrew Madaras