A big kick off for Badshot Lea

By Jonny Bray

When Mark Broad became chairman of Badshot Lea in 2007, he could see it was a club with potential.
However, without a home to call their own, the Baggies found themselves in non-league purgatory as they bounced between four different groundshares in 12 years.

That all changed when Broad and his tireless team of volunteers opened the Operatix Community Ground in 2019 - with the club going on to win promotion to the Pitching In Isthmian League South Central Division last season.

They open their league campaign at home to South Park on Saturday and Broad is eager for the club to keep building on their recent progress.

"When I took the chairman role on, I could see that the management and the playing side were massively outperforming the facilities and the committee that we had at the time," he said.

"I put a plan together to develop a facility somewhere, but the first part of that plan was to get a groundshare, which enabled us to start the climb through the football pyramid by having a facility that would allow us to play at the level we needed to.

"We ended up having four different landlords and then eventually in 2019 we moved into a new facility, and we got a long lease from the council which enabled us to build our own ground.

"Last year culminated in a second-place finish which won us promotion.

"You have got to get the balance right between on the field and off the field, if you have got the team on the pitch then you have got to have the facilities off it.

"I think sometimes clubs get it the wrong way round."

Badshot Lea were founded in 1904 but this is the first time that the club will compete at Step 4 level.
It caps a remarkable journey for Broad, who can't believe how far the club have come in a short space of time.

He is one of several volunteers who have sacrificed countless hours during that rise and opportunities around the country are now available to view through the Pitching In Volunteer Hub.

"We are going in with some very big football clubs,” he said.

“If you had said to me five or 10 years ago that in 2023, we would be in the same division as Leatherhead I would have told them to go and see a doctor.

"There are going to be a lot of other teams that have done really well, and I think first and foremost we have got to establish ourselves in the division and then build a sustainable model.

"There is a lot of planning going on, it is an exciting time and we are looking forward to the season.
"It is our first time at Step 4 and the highest level the club has ever been at, so my hopes for the campaign are realistic – but we are looking forward to it."

Find volunteering opportunities at your local club by visiting https://pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk/

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