It’s been another year of hard work, change, and progress at Bosham Football Club, and I want to start by recognising the effort shown across every part of the club, players, coaches, volunteers, sponsors and supporters.

We’ve had challenges, but we’ve also taken some genuinely important steps forward. Thank you to each and every one of you.

Major Developments

One of the biggest achievements this year was securing the major sponsorship we’ve been chasing.

• David Wilson Homes committed £33,000, and we still have £23,000 of that available.
We agreed that funding on three clear priorities:-
• Player sponsorship, to reduce the financial burden on players and help us compete with clubs at our level who now routinely pay players.
• Operational equipment, to modernise how we run football at Walton Lane.
• Clubhouse facilities, to keep our matchday experience strong.

Now, I know the development at Highgrove itself hasn’t been universally popular in the village, but the reality is that potentially 1,000 new residents will be joining the Bosham community, and both the sponsor and ourselves recognise the potential that brings; new youth players, new supporters, new volunteers, and a stronger connection between the club and the village.

As a community club, our job is to serve the Football Club, our players and staff but also the community as it grows. That doesn’t mean compromising our values; it means recognising that Bosham FC can be a positive for everyone who lives here.

Finances

We’ve made real progress in clearing historic debts including the water leak and several utility arrears. Thanks to help from the Parish Council, and later sponsorship, we’ve ensured the club is in a solvent and stable position, even if future revenue remains a challenge.

A huge thank you to Gordon Webb, who stepped down as Treasurer after many years of diligent service. And an equally big thank you to Helen Boschi, who has stepped into the role with energy and organisation. Her proactive approach is exactly what the club needs as we move forward.

Footballing Review

First Team & Development

It was another tough year for the senior squads. The impact of the player exodus from our successful period three seasons ago was still being felt, and recruitment was demonstrably difficult despite huge effort from the gaffers.

We survived relegation from SCFL Division 2 County level by the narrowest of margins; a superior goal difference over Worthing Town, and ultimately the folding of Capel FC, that gifted us three walk over points. It’s not the way anyone wants to stay up, but it is survival, and it gives us a platform to rebuild properly.

Managerial Change

The sudden departure of Tony Hancock after many years in charge at Walton Lane created a significant challenge. Frank Antony and his backroom team stepped up brilliantly to guide the First Team through to the end of the season, and we owe them real gratitude.

However, rather than defaulting to the familiar, and with strong prompting from me in the first instance , the senior committee made a decision to do something different. Player Recruitment had stagnated, and we felt we had and needed to use the opportunity to bring fresh energy and new ideas.

We advertised the First Team Manager role, received seven strong applications, interviewed the four strongest through a fair, equitable and scored panel process, and subsequently appointed Jack Cavell from Selsey FC

Jack arrives with:
• A committed backroom team
• A clear vision
• Proven ability to recruit
• The energy and ambition to lift Bosham FC back to competitive levels at County level

Change in any organisation will always bring uncertainty, and as a committee we were aware of that, and it’s safe to say that anxiety did manifest itself early on, but we always believed this was the right decision, and at this point in time that belief has now transferred throughout the club, and there is now some real optimism across the playing staff and management who have recognised the energy and enthusiasm Jack has brought with him.
Welcome Jack and welcome to your team.

Vets

The vets endured an incredibly long season thanks to the prolonged period of wet weather, Sean Meads as always steered that particular ship through its unique challenges with the usual energy and commitment he has always applied to the job, and the vets were at one point possibly pushing for promotion but still finished in a creditable 4th place, as well as reaching the Cup Semi-Final. Thank you Sean and his management team

Youth & Development

Youth football continues to be a bright spot:

• The U18's narrowly missed out on the title in a playoff – well done Ian Bennett and your team of coaches, who we say goodbye to after 3 very successful seasons in charge, and I should also mention several U18's will now sign into the men’s squads for 2026/27, showing that our development ethos is working as it should.
• The U15's had a great season again finishing 3rd in their league and will now go on to compete at U16. Well done Andy Probee and Paul Sumnall for your efforts there.
Sadly we were unable to attract a new U14 team to Walton Lane, which of course reduces revenue next season and also puts an unwanted gap in the development path. This is also directly related to our difficulty in attracting volunteers to the club.

Clubhouse & Matchday Operations

We are of course very sad that Susan and Stacey were unable to continue as Clubhouse Manager and Matchday Cook. Their contribution to our matchday experience has been immense.
We are actively seeking paid replacements because consistency and quality in the clubhouse product is essential for revenue, reputation, and the community ‘feel’ that we pride ourselves on. We cannot return to the days of committee members running the bar; it’s not sustainable and doesn’t reflect the professional matchday image we’ve worked hard to build.

Operational Progress & Volunteers

Despite having funds available for improvements, lack of volunteer resource has stalled spending.
Several clubhouse improvements remain untouched, and operational upgrades have only scratched the surface.
Last season we attempted to boost recruitment by making football free for players, a bold move that didn’t help as much as we thought it might, and yet required significant financial support. Jack Cavell and a Funding Committee will have sponsorship plans in place to continue sustainable player funding.

Social Media

We are actively seeking a Social Media Lead. Our online presence has not only stagnated but suffered due to lack of volunteers, and this is a key area where Bosham FC can grow.
There is a good story to be told here at the club, and the community deserves to see it.

First Team Management and the committee shares this vision, and together we want to build a modern, engaging identity for the club and in doing so also give our sponsors the place they deserve for their support.

The Big Challenge

The biggest issue facing Bosham FC going into 2026/27 is simple:

We do not have enough volunteers.
We’ve reached a point where we need to be honest about the club’s biggest challenge: people . We don’t need ten new committee members we just need more people doing small things.
We can continue to tread water, but that places enormous strain on the people already giving so much and compromises the quality and progress we can offer to our players, coaches and the community.

There are some practical steps we can take:
• A community call-out to BOSHAM itself: “Bosham FC needs 10 people to give 1 hour a month.” Clear, simple, and hopefully achievable.
• There are challenges with the new estate at Highgrove, but in time we should plan to engage Highgrove residents as they start to take up residence in the village: new families, new youth players, new volunteers. There are hundreds of new families arriving, and that’s potential youth players, volunteers, supporters, sponsors and new community connections.
We need to make sure Bosham FC is part of their village story from day one.
• Clear matchday roles: paid or voluntary, clubhouse, social media, ball retrieval, photography, Sporting Grant Applications.

These are all initiatives we can take forward and discuss at a detailed level in subsequent committee – but it’s important for us all to recognise the issue here and proactively address it by amplifying this gap to friends, colleagues and family

Closing

Despite the challenges, Bosham FC remains a positive, proud, resilient, community-driven club. We have new sponsorship, new team leadership, new opportunities, and a renewed sense of direction.

To every player, coach, volunteer, sponsor and supporter, thank you.
Here’s to a stronger, more connected, successful and more ambitious 2026/27 season.

Thank you all

Neil Holley-Williams
Chairman, Bosham FC
AGM Monday 29th June 2026