As I have mentioned before I have supported T&M since the age of 12 when my Dad took me to see them play Hitchin Town I've seen the good times and the bad times and when I read that they were moving to Imperial fields I feared that we would loose a large slice of our fan base, and it's a phenomenon that common world wide when clubs move to a new ground and the drop is more severe when the move is made at a time when the results aren’t exactly setting the world alight.

An example in today’s game is that if Dartford or Dover were to move grounds tomorrow they would take 90% of their crowd with them. Because success is like a drug and it leaves one wanting more of the same. This would not be so if these were struggling clubs. Unfortunately in the later situation it becomes a double edged sword, one is not only faced with falling gates, but further deterioration of results on the field. As a qualified sports psychologist* I have made a study this, and one case in particular that matches T&M’s plight was in Russia, the team moved into a new stadium their attendance dropped by 50% and the team went 13 games without a home win and it took a sports psychologist to turn things around.

This without any players or backroom staff leaving the club, no players were bought in and slowly the crowds returned. I wrote to Bill (Smith) asking if I could come to the ground (at my own expense) and have a tour of the ground, sit down and have a chat and a cup of tea with him. In return I would go away and send him a report that he could pass on to the committee with my suggestions on what might help us turn Imperial Fields into a foot balling fortress now in time for next season. I have not had a reply but I can assure the club if my offer was to be accepted in no way would I ask for a fee.

*I have basically worked with Track& Field athletes (I have been mentor to one particular athlete for eight years who made the final at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and hopefully will do again in London 2012)

Ted Parsons
Colchester
01206 211626 OR mailto:cocacola@onetel.com