Summer 2020 Q&A with Simon Cook
Ed: First of all as I always must ask. How is everyone at the football club doing? Are all the committee, management, coaches and players doing well and staying safe?
SC: Fortunately everyone connected with the club seems to be well and healthy which is really good news. We are perhaps lucky that this part of the UK seems to have been less affected by the Covid-19 crisis than many other areas.
Ed: These last few weeks have seen the club launch the Back the Rocks Crowdfunding campaign which has been a staggering success so far. How proud are you of the fanbase for their efforts to raise the funds they have, and who deserves the credit for this idea in the first place?
SC: The response has been absolutely staggering as you say. As of today the appeal have raised over £42,000 which is unbelievable in such difficult and uncertain times. We did not want to just put out an appeal asking for money, but wanted to try to give our supporters something back in return, and this seems to have caught many peoples' imagination. The idea of the personalised plaque on our "Wall of Thanks" has really caught on with 133 sold so far - with purchases coming from places as far afield as Toronto, Holland and Arkansas in the USA. The Dutch one is from someone who has never seen us play nor been to Bognor but was so impressed by our Crowdfunder site that we was driven to contribute!
David Robinson, Ian Guppy, Carl Eldridge and I have worked on this project and we spent some time researching ideas from other clubs as well as developing ideas of our own. I must mention Ken Wood who has worked tirelessly contacting so many different people who have then contributed. This includes many of our players and ex-players. Crowdfunder themselves have been brilliant. They have set up the whole thing at zero cost to the club, and even swallow the credit card charges. They also gave us invaluable advice on what works and what might not work. We would recommend them to anyone!
Ed: This week we have seen the club secure the signings of Bradley Lethbridge and the two Leigh Brothers. This is a real coupe for the club, however we have also lost last year’s top scorer Dan Smith since the lockdown began. Can you give us any current updates on the squad beyond the players I’ve mentioned here.
SC: Not a great deal of news to be honest. It is great that Brad has committed to the season and we are delighted to have Tommy and Ashton back again. Of course Amadou Tangara is also already under contract for next year. It's great to have someone as good as he is committed to the club.
Jack and Robbie are talking to most of the squad from last year and we hope to be able to provide a lot more information soon. However, there are always changes to the squad every summer and a number of new players have been invited to join us for pre-season. These range from young players with a lot of potential to more experienced players who might be looking for a change of club. We plan to start pre-season training on 3rd August although I know that Robbie is already working with some players on their fitness at the moment.
Ed: Our Head Coach recently gave a fascinating and eye opening account of his football and personal life on the very popular ex players Podcast “Under the Cosh”. Have you managed to have a listen, (if not I fully recommend it by the way) and how great is it that Robbie is still fully committed to the work he started at Nyewood Lane a few season ago despite his rising star being suggested for roles in the EFL.
SC: Robbie is clearly a very experienced and well-respected coach and we are fortunate to have someone with his experience and knowledge of the game at the club. He also talks a lot of sense and it is always good to listen to what he has to say. He is a great person to have at the club and he is genuinely passionate about what he is doing.
Ed: Also in regards to Podcasts. Liam Goodley has been doing a sterling job with the Rocks Fan Pod and has had some fascinating chats with current staff and players and fans as well as ex players and ex staff. Have you enjoyed these and what have you learned from listening to these?
SC: Liam should have a career in the media! His podcasts a really interesting and it is fascinating listening to players from the past as well as the current squad and staff. I am already looking forward to his next one!
I think the one thing that I have learned from listening to former players or staff is the connection and affection they still feel for the club. I know that Jack has his critics at times -normally people who dont really know him - but I think that what he has created at this club over the past 50 years is quite incredible and that many players who have played under him still regard him as their mentor.
Ed: We have also recently seen the old main stand start to be demolished and cleared ready for its shining new replacement. How is the work schedule coming along given the lockdown restrictions? Will the stand be ready for September/October?
SC: Our incredible team of volunteers have already done the initial soft demolition work and the main demolition starts on Monday. Everything is on plan to have our new stand complete by mid-September. As I think everyone is aware the new stand will be significantly more comfortable than our old stand. It will be raised and have no pillars so the viewing experience will be much better for spectators. It will also provide much better facilities for disabled spectators. We have also placed the order for a replacement cover at the Seasons end of the ground. This will be a solid structure so less likely to be affected by severe weather. This will be in place around the end of September.
In a strange way the lockdown has helped us as we would have had challenges accommodating matches in August if the season was to start on time.
Ed: Talking of September. This seems to have been muted as a possible re-start or non league football. How much communication have the club had from the FA and the Isthmian League in this regard and do you think this time frame is realistic given that this virus seems a long way from being removed from our daily lives and testing costs would be difficult if not impossible for cash strapped Non League clubs?
SC: We discussed this yesterday at our monthly Isthmian League board meeting. We still await government permission to reopen, but it is looking increasingly likely that Isthmian League football may commence on Saturday 3rd October - although any spikes or increase in the rates of infection could easily put this in jeopardy. We do still need advice from the FA and government on what safety measure we will need to adopt. We cannot estimate what these may cost us at this stage but it is likely that it will be a struggle financially for all clubs at this level.
Ed: I know this will be difficult for you to answer but I must ask it. Me personally I sort of see the whole pyramid as very fractured right now with the Premiership & the Championship carrying on behind closed doors, Leagues 1 & 2 and the Nationals Leagues not completing there campaigns but using PPG and playing their playoffs, but yet our league & below are all null and void. It just seems to me we have been completely been forgotten about. How does the pyramid recover and flourish going forward seeing as resentment seems high especially at fan level?
My view is that there are so many significant differencesbetween the different levels of the game and that we cannot expect the same policies across all levels. I also believe that the joint decision reached at an early stage by the Isthmian, Southern and Northern Premier Leagues to abandon the season was absolutely the right thing to do for football at this level. I am not sure why there should be resentment at fan level - you simply cannot comapre a club like Bognor with a Premier League club. I do admit that I have been confused by the uncertainty at National League North and South levels however. It seems to me that this could have been resolved in a far more timely manner.
Ed: Also, In this same regard. Whilst I appreciate that the pro game is very different to its Non League counterpart. Do you think something needs to be written into leagues rule books to come up with a one size mist fit all solution should anything not allow seasons to be finished in the future?
SC: Absolutely. This situation must be the biggest challenge football has faced since 1939 and the outbreak of war. Some changes to rules have already been agreed so that we will be able to act more quickly and effecively in the event of another pandemic or any other major crisis. Not sure about one size fits all however, as some circumstances might impact different levels of the game in different ways - as we are seeing at the moment.
Ed: Finally, How has lockdown been for yourself and what have you learned, enjoyed and missed.
SC: Well my hair is back to where it was in the 1970s! I think the key thing that I have learned is that no matter what happens, we have to adapt and get on with life. I am not a great fan of queuing for shops or wearing masks for example, but if that is what we have to do for the forseeable future we must just get used to it. I have certainly missed the normal social life that we probably take for granted. Strangely I have not missed football as much as I thought I would although I think it would have been different if we had experienced the pandemic in the middle of winter.