London Seaward: End of the Season review

Another season of football (soccer) is in the books and London Seaward finished eight of twelve, with their 29 points well clear of the relegation zone and a solid mid-table performance. There was a rough patch in the middle of the season where Seaward faced a long string of higher-division opponents and other Tier 4 clubs who were undefeated at the time and/or ended up winning their league, but that run included Seaward’s first cup win over a Tier 3 opponent. It was a thrill to see that win and to watch the club right the ship and remain comfortably at Tier 4.

I enjoyed my second season as primary sponsor for the club. As always, the second time around means there’s less joy of discovery and more recognizing the patterns inherent in the business of football, but I still learned a lot. I obviously have nowhere near the experience of my colleagues who have spent a lifetime in the game so a lot of the considerable behind-the-scenes work is invisible to me. That said, my contacts with the club share what they can so I can more fully appreciate how my involvement, and theirs, makes a difference.

Ginny and I were able to travel to England several times during the season, though our weather luck was lousy. Of the seven matches we planned to attend only three went off, with the last one played on a misty March night at St. Neot’s where Cambridge United hosted Seaward in a match that ended 1-1.

I’ll share news regarding the club’s plans for next season when I’m able to do so, but the one thing I can confirm is that Redbridge, the men’s club that generously offered Seaward a ten-year groundshare agreement at Oakside Stadium, will go from a grass pitch to a 3G artificial surface over the summer. Moving to 3G should reduce weather cancellations and open up the possibility of multiple matches, training sessions, and public use throughout the week. Technical improvements in synthetic turf technology have reduced, though not eliminated, the additional risk of injury as compared to grass, so the move makes sense.
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It's the end of the season at Tier 4, with the exception of some county cup matches, so it’s time for everyone to take a breath, recharge their batteries, and get ready to go again. Look for more announcements later this offseason.