Well he we are in the middle of a heatwave playing in the FA Cup. It seems a different competition that attracts audiences around the world when the big boys join in.# during January. But to Clubs at the bottom of the National system it is repayment time for all those fines. Yes people lest you forget football is a fine business, there’s a fine for doing that and there’s a fine for not doing that and there’s a fine when the FA don’t do something. So please don’t fall for the platitudes that come out of Wembley that they support grass roots football.

The level of football you are watching tonight is in as a perilous position as the elephant in Africa. Our ivory is the young talented players, male and female, which we provide top class coaching and develop from the age of six through our Youth Development programmes and Community schemes. The big clubs have Scouts or as I prefer to call them spies looking for potential talent. They then entice these players usually through their parents and flout all registration rules set by the FA.

How do I know because I’ve had to deal with it when I was Chairman. Stevenage and Charlton were two offenders that spring to mind. Stevenage even had the cheek to call us a Junior Club. They didn’t even apologise when I sent them an extract from the FA,s affiliated Clubs list, which had them on there as well as Ware FC. The FA’s response to my complaints that the top clubs do a lot to encourage football by giving free tickets. Of course they do by making sure the free visit starts or ends in the Club shop!

So bear in my mind the reality behind the dream. 10 years ago we made the first round of the FA Cup. We played Kidderminster in front of over 2,000 people. We played 6 games to get there, the same as a Premier Club plays to win the competition. If you look closely around this club and see some of the people here you may spot what some of them looked like 10 years ago. That is what a football club is about. That is what the FA Cup is about.

Enjoy tonight’s game and remember nearly everyone behind the scenes and on the coaching staff at all levels are volunteers.

Billy bing Billy bong