25/05/09

Well a big day out at Wembley, a top 6 finish and a new away record, it has been the best season for a few years. Every player in the squad have played a part both on the pitch or at the training ground, the players are working as a unit and have a camaraderie that is second to none.

Kenny Jackett, Joe Gallen, Richard Shaw, Bobby Bacic, Adrian Wisson, Scott Fitzgerald and the entire back room staff deserve credit for producing the fight and spirit we have seen in the team throughout the season culminating in the trip to Wembley, the players gave their all and put on a display I know we are all proud of, they stretched and competed for every ball and battled hard to get the result, at the end of the game the disappointment was there on every players face, they gave a solid battling Millwall performance and that is all we can ever ask for. Let's hope we can retain at least a small percentage of the fans who went to Wembley just 5% would make things a lot easier financially which in turn would give Kenny more spending power, I am going to go out on a limb and predict our 1st home game of the season will have an attendance of around 13k, if the team can win we should be able to maintain that level of support throughout that is why it is imperative to get a good solid start to the season.

How proud was I walking up Wembley was seeing the sea of blue and white it was great to see, the noise inside the stadium was incredible, other than the result it was a brilliant day.

Another thing not to be forgotten is the fact that we went a record number of away games undefeated this season, let's hope we can get a good start to the new season and carry that through to the end and get an automatic spot, the trip to Wembley was great but I would rather just go up.

I spoke to Kenny at length after the game, obviously he was devastated but he felt it is pointless wallowing in it, he will be reviewing the video tomorrow and preparations for next season have already began, we have a good leader in Kenny, someone who is honest, committed and loyal.

We have a new addition to the squad in Steve Morrison from Stevenage Borough, let's hope he can carry on his goal scoring, Kenny has been tracking him for a good few months and intense and delicate negotiations were finally completed due to the hard work of Andy Ambler.

We are lucky at Millwall to have a great team behind the scenes who have worked so hard during the run up to Wembley, at times working in the early hours to make sure all orders were fulfilled, we always see the top people at Millwall mentioned in the media and getting the plaudits, but there are many people at Millwall who deserve praise and thanks as it is a team effort that keeps the club running, so on behalf of the fans I would like to thank all the staff at Millwall who go about their work without any fuss or credit week in week out.

We are still waiting for Richard Sadler to come up with the opposition for the benefit game the club have agreed on August 1st, I know Richard is trying his hardest to get good quality opposition, when I spoke with him last there has been no definite opposition found, as the time is getting on and most teams have already arranged their pre seasons I am worried that as time elapses Sads will find it hard to get an opponent, I will keep you all updated on any progress made.

The new ticketing system is now in place and there were minimal complaints with Season Ticket sales and despatch, hopefully once the system has been tested on a match day there will be improvements and getting a ticket for games will be made a lot easier both on line and on the day, it is hoped that the ease that the new system allows will make more people buy their tickets in advance, this should alleviate the queues 5 minutes before kick off.

The close season for most is a quite time but for a football club it is probably the busiest time behind the scenes, with contract negotiations going on and players either coming in or leaving, I will keep the updates coming if anything of importance comes along.

On behalf of all fans I would like to thank John and Amy Berylson for their continued commitment to the club, their involvement has led to the club having a stability that we haven’t had for a good few years, I spoke with them both on Sunday evening and they are determined to do all they can to make sure we go all out for promotion next season, in their words "we do not want the stress of going through the play offs again next season"

On a personal note I am so proud to have been elected to represent our views in the boardroom, I never take it for granted and make sure our views are heard by the board during any discussions, however, as with discussions among any group of people, not all board decisions will be unanimous. It is however important for the board to stand behind the democratic process, something I am also fully committed to.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me throughout the year and I hope I will get the same support next year.

As always if anyone has any questions for me drop me a line petergarston@hotmail.com

Pete