President’s Report 2023

A busy and productive year for Greytown Football Club in 2023. 

I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements of our teams this year.  5 men’s and 1 women’s team took the field this season and whilst it has been a tough season in terms of weather and our fields as SMP taking a hammering our players have shown grit, determination, and the true spirit of teamwork out on that field – which is what GFC is all about – enjoying our football and enabling all to play.  Amongst us there are some amazing athletes and equally many of which our bodies not quite match our lofty expectations but regardless we do all well every weekend to take the field and be part of the game we all love.

Notable achievements include:

• The strong continuation of our newest team The Offering
• A solid effort by PBs coming 4^th in Wai Div 1
• The great development of many young players in the Tremains side with Charlie Matthews being named Capital Football’s Wairarapa Player of the Year
• The Gems placing second in the Wairarapa Women’s League
• The Spartans winning Wairarapa Division 3
• Greyfriars having a stellar season and gaining promotion to Cap 2 – and also being awarded the GS&L Team of the Year award.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated committee members. These individuals work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

Pip Mackie did an incredible job this season with her sponsorship and fundraising coordination which has played a key part in the club’s current favourable financial situation.  Pip also got her duty manager’s license and supported the running of the club bar for most of the season – thank you Pip. 

Thanks also go to Tim Stevenson who carried out an update of the GFC website which was overdue and also supported and improved the club’s social media presence. 

Thanks go to those such as Eva who have helped with designing the Facebook tiles for game day – these efforts have really improved the club’s image. 

Thanks to Gary Hewson who has been instrumental in coordinating the progress of the Pavilion upgrade and has worked in addition on trying to improve the situation with the grounds – a work in progress but obviously much needed.  We look forward to seeing the new pavilion come to fruition next season.

Malcolm Henderson stepped onto the committee this year and has done a great job of being the gear and equipment overseer and Marcus Henderson has supported the committee with team manager liaison – not an easy task.

Two absolute stars that have put in a lot of work this year are Amanda Taylor and Jeremy Van Vliet.  Amanda came onto the committee this year and took up the tough role of secretary. She writes an awesome set of minutes, holds us accountable to all the actions and gets us through our very busy meetings as fast as possible. 

Jeremy has been a fantastic find as our club treasurer.  One of Jeremy’s first jobs was getting us registered for GST purposes and he handled this and the subsequent returns with ease.  Jeremy has also stepped in to support both the bar running and the fundraising when necessary and has put in great efforts in support of our summer 7 aside competition – the club really couldn’t be without you Jeremy and you’ve provided excellent support to me as the president this season.

In addition to the committee members there are a large group of incredible club volunteers. Thanks to those that have donated their time to mark fields, clean clubrooms and do the recycling. Too many to individually mention but thank you it’s really appreciated.  Also, my gratitude goes to all the team managers who wrangle the troops each week and make sure we’ve got teams across the club to take the field.

We couldn't do any of this without our sponsors. Our team sponsors of Greyfriars Motel, Tremains, Property Brokers, The Offering and Umbrella Group have been joined this year by club sponsor Fresh Choice and sincere thanks to all these businesses for their on-going support of the club.

The club has been involved in a number of great events this season.  To celebrate what we believe is the club’s 15^th birthday the White Party that was held mid-season was an excellent event.  Also during the season the club had the opportunity to offer tickets to members and the families to attend one if the women’s World Cup games in Wellington. This was another well attended event with over 400 tickets being taken up by the senior and the junior clubs.  Prizegiving was a great event in the middle of September this year with over 140 people attending and enjoying a wonderful night to celebrate individual and team performances. 

As we have grown over recent years the club's role in our community has also grown. As we go forward into next season please continue to support all the volunteers that give so much of themselves to the success of the club. Growth of the club has not come without a few growing pains and as we face these challenges it should be remembered that the club is about providing the opportunity for everyone to enjoy playing football.  On a personal note, I will step down as president now and focus on supporting the women’s part of the club which is where I find my joy of football lies.  I look forward to providing on-going support of the committee and the club.

So, let's continue to support each other, both on and off the field, because together, we are an important part of the Greytown community.

Jo Holter

Article added: Friday 08 December 2023