I’d like to begin by welcoming you all to the brand new official website of West Didsbury & Chorlton. When we joined the NWCFL in 2012, it was the result of many years of hard work from many of the existing committee and the tireless efforts of Rob Turley.  When Rob laid out his original plans for the club to play in the North West Counties few believed that the club could live up to his vision; yet if he were here today I think that even he would admit that its exceeded his wildest dreams.

This season will mark 20 years since we moved into Brookburn Road and it’s the contrast between then and now couldn’t be more extreme when we spent the first days trying to reclaim bricks to build the yet-to-be-built clubhouse. It’s been an incredible journey to date and we’ve not yet got to where we want to go.

After each game I’ve often raced home to switch on the computer so I can read the tweets from the match; now I sit and read all the comments from the supporters who’ve come to the match. Nights like FC United and Maine Road away where we’ve hundreds of fans stood together to support the team is a far cry from the days when I think I could pick out every supporter by name. The unveiling of this website is the latest of those steps in a long journey and I’d like to offer a massive thanks to Matthew Britton, Rob McKay and the many people who’ve been involved in the project.  Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, the programme and the website everyone in our club does an amazing job promoting the club on and off the field. The number of chairman who’ve told me how envious they are of our ever increasing media profile grows each week.

On the field it’s set up to be a momentous year for the club as the first team will look to build on their back-to-back top six finishes and knowing Steve Settle, he won’t be satisfied until he’s firmly inserted the club amongst the title challengers in this division. In addition we’ve Danny Iredale’s Reserve side who themselves secured a top six finish in the Cheshire League One last season; a best ever finish for our second XI. Danny, along with Jim Hines, went about building an excellent side last season and I know they will be pushing to reach the Premier Division of the Cheshire League this time around. Danny and Jim have done a terrific job in the last 12 months offering many of our youth team their first steps in adult football.

For the first time this season, we’ve got women’s football coming to West as Club Secretary Rob McKay has worked hard to secure the services of Paul Caddick as new manager from Chorltonian Ladies. Paul is a familiar face around West, often seen at home games for both the first and reserves. Anyone who knows Rob knows he’s a massive advocate of the women’s game and his excitement before a ball has even been kicked is obvious for everyone to see. I’d like to offer my thanks to Jim Burke and Alex MacLean who’ve kindly offered to help out on match-days for the women’s team this season to ensure its success.

Of course, there’s the juniors led by Chairman Tim Manley. Under Tim’s guidance we’ve seen them go from strength to strength in the last year winning several competitions and even witnessed several chants of ‘hummus and quinoa’ from some bemused looking players after matches. As the club continues to grow in stature, our success cannot be measured solely on the success of the first team but on our commitment to offer inclusive football to as many people in South Manchester as possible.

I would like to round off today by offering my gratitude to the various volunteers throughout the club who have worked tirelessly to get us to this stage. It simply cannot be done without you and your efforts; that your work is often in lieu of seeing the football makes your endeavours even more staggering. I’d also like to thank our supporters for making the 2016/17 one of the most memorable in the clubs history and hope that you continue to back us in our attempts to offer the best football experience we can;  occasional lapses in defending aside.

I hope you all enjoy the season ahead.

Glyn Meacher,

Chairman, West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC