“It is our intention as a club to stay at step 6 and in the Hellenic League.”
That was the message from Chalvey Sports chairman Scott Young, speaking on Tuesday to the daily Berkshire Football Stories podcast as the Stabmonks work to prepare for the 2020/21 season.
Young spoke openly and honestly about how the club is run, relying heavily at the moment on sponsorship from several companies to continue to operate at step 6.
The club have shared Slough Borough Council’s Arbour Park Stadium with Vanarama National League South Slough Town for two seasons but as a result, don’t have any revenue from the bar or catering facilities on match days.
Chalvey Recreation Ground
Ground grading regulations for step 6 meant that the clubs regular home of Chalvey Recreation Ground would never be able to come up to standard.
In recent years, long serving step 6 clubs such as Finchampstead and Letcombe have been forced down the divisions, while Marlow United – as Young says ‘have got their ducks in a row early’ in making the decision to return to the Thames Valley Premier League.
The rise of the Stabmonks
The Stabmonks rose from the East Berks Football League four years ago and won the Hellenic League Division Two South two seasons in a row before making the step up to Division One East for the 2018/19 season, a rise through the divisions the club weren’t quite expecting.
Chalvey have competed though and finished 8th last season, they were 5th this time around prior to the season being declared null and void.
The podcast, available here or listen below, is a good insight in to a club that’s been steadily building upwards, but where the Coronvirus pandemic and cancellation of the season has hit particularly hard.
