Grant success boosts celebrations at historic game

By David Watters

Witham Town

Receiving a £10,000 grant for youth football helped Witham Town celebrate playing in their 3000th fixture on Saturday.

Despite being denied three points to help preserve their Ryman Premier status by Bognor Regis Town in a 2-2 draw at Spa Road, Town's supporters still had plenty to celebrate after news of the grant from Braintree District Council's Mi Community scheme to support the development of new youth football facilities.

Town's bid was supported by local MP and club ambassador Priti Patel and she told the club's website: "Witham Town do fantastic work supporting youth football in Witham and this grant will go a long way to help them fulfil their ambitious expansion plans.

"The club has an exciting vision for the future and is at the heart of our community. They are inspiring the next generation of footballers to come forward and get involved with the game as well as encouraging more boys and girls to take up sport and develop leadership and team skills.

"As we celebrate the success of the club in reaching their milestone 3,000th first team match, Witham can be very proud of the active role they play in the local community.

"In the weeks ahead, I hope everyone in the town will get behind [manager] Garry Kimble and the team and show their support for them to keep winning and stay in the Ryman Premier League."

Town's manager Kimble said: "It is important the club maintain the progress off the field as on it and everyone is doing all they can. We now have several youth teams and it's important we improve the facilities at the club and gives the children something active to do.

"Since Priti has got involved I have had meetings with her and she has made significant contribution in helping the football club. Priti believes in what we are trying to do and is assisting us in many ways.

"It is no secret that our pitch gets poor publicity and we as a club know this but volunteers work tirelessly with no equipment and very little resources in the closed season. So the first thing I mentioned at the meeting was the pitch and within days managed to secure funding for the pitch to have renovation works done in the week commencing 12 May."

He added: "Priti has list of thing we need to improve and is helping us achieve this. It's about time someone tried to do something for the football club."

To mark their historic match at the weekend while playing at the highest level since the club's foundation and rise from humble beginnings in 1948, Witham's officials also published a new history of the club penned by journalists from the Braintree & Witham Times in collaboration with staff from Chelmsford Library, the Football Association and the Essex FA.

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