Well, what a great start to the season. The step up to William Hill League One was always going to be a challenge and as expected there is a marked difference in the standard and quality. Every game so far could arguably have gone either way and it is to Gary’s and the team’s credit that we have shown the resilience to deliver three fantastic wins already.

Then to add icing on the cake, we have a terrific win against high flying Falkirk in the SPFL Trust Trophy. Beating close rivals is a fundamental highlight of football but this had additional resonance for Gary as it demonstrated how far we had evolved from our League Cup meeting a few weeks back. The team worked tremendously hard in all departments, we carried some fortune, and DJ showed us again that he is a top goalkeeper. 

Let’s pause for a second to enjoy the moment again!

This season on the field is one of transition and of massive importance to the club. There is a window to establish ourselves in League One and build on last year’s success. There are other clubs who have consolidated well at the upper end of this league, and we have aspirations to achieve that same consistency – it is going to be exciting!

Off the field we are in a similar position, one of transition. Last year was an incredibly successful season and brought us a moment in our history that none of us will ever forget. To achieve this, we had to extend our financial resources to the very limit and, the reality is, to remain at this level, we need to hit the same financial performance on a year-on-year basis.

Club 42 in the pyramid system has had an incredible effect on the finances of lower league clubs, with wage inflation increasing the financial demands on clubs not just to progress, but indeed to survive. While a challenge, the positive for us is that we have remarkable ingredients in play to maintain a successful club for the long term – we must all pull-together to achieve this.

One area of transition is at board level. A number of the Directors have worked tirelessly for a long time and have all recognised the need for fresh blood, a change of age, diversity and a need for new skillsets on the Board to meet the demands of our progressive club. Thankfully we are making some good progress in this direction.

We have been delighted over the last two months to have augmented the board with three new board members all of whom bring different strengths as well as renewed energy and drive.

Our ex-Chairman, Gordon Thompson, has returned to the board after a number of years focussing on building his business to the point where he has time to become more involved again. For Gordon this feels like unfinished business, and he knows the club inside out. Already he has taken control of a project to upgrade the floodlighting and is also overseeing the tendering process on behalf of the clubs’ Foundation to install solar panels and a new energy system at Ochilview.

We are also delighted to welcome Linsey Paton-Donaldson to the board. Linsey will combine her passion for community, love of football and years of senior leadership experience in both healthcare and data management services. Her stated aim is to work to ensure Stenhousemuir FC and Stenhousemuir Community Foundation make a difference to people in our wider local area. It is our mission to create a recognised welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment and Linsey exemplifies these values.

In equal measure we are delighted that Brian Rafferty has joined the board bringing with him over two decades of knowledge and experience in financial services. Brian is a local with an incredible network and drive to take the standards at the club commercially to a higher level. His injection of insight into our current operations has already lifted our sights and will focus on our events, generating future support and enhancing the experience of businesses involved with the club.

For my part I remain in my Vice-Chair role. As yet we have not appointed a new Chairperson as we look to formulate our plans more strategically for the road ahead. The Chairperson’s role will of course be crucial and as a board we want to be sure the appointment is right for the club and the individual has the time and gravitas to lead us positively through the next few years.

I would also like to acknowledge the support of our main sponsors, LocHire, EcoHire, Your Equipment Solutions, Specsavers, RJM and Robert Brown & Sons who all continue to support the club magnificently. LocHire in particular, have invested in the club not solely from a financial perspective but also in improving the feel and fabric of Ochilview, all of which is very much appreciated.

Our need to work together both on and off the field is essential, it has never been more important and I invite everyone to be as involved in any way they can. Whatever success we have had over the years has always been based on a collective and we would be pleased if everyone can play their part as a supporter, a volunteer, a sponsor – whatever your capacity – to be part of that wider team. We are all fans and together we are stronger.

Thank you for your continued support to what is hopefully an enjoyable and exciting 24-25 season.

David Reid 

Vice-Chair