At our AGM on 16th July 2024 our long-standing committee members Steve Tidy, James Aspinall, Andy King, and Mimi Rahman-Khan stood down. The club is hugely grateful for all that they have done over the years.
Chairman Steve Tidy, Treasurer James Aspinall and Vice Chair/ Welfare Officer Andy King leave their roles at the club after fourteen years on the committee.
James Apsinall explained how the club has been transformed during their time.
When they first took the reins, the Triangle was a field with donkeys in it, with youngsters playing football all over Balsall Common and no real club feel for the Hornets.
How that has changed. Fast forward to 2024 and the club has its own clubhouse and ground on a long term lease with 27 Hornets teams taking the field during the 23/24 season. A busy Saturday Morning Club now acts as a feeder for our young boys and girls as they start their Hornets journey through the junior ranks and into adult football.
The donkey’s field is now a shared sports ground with Berkswell Cricket Club with new drainage laid back in 2015 and an irrigation system planned for later this year.
As well as taking a strategic view in driving successful funding and plans, Steve was not afraid to get his hands dirty (literally!) – rodding the drains on the morning of the club presentation, filling the fridges, clearing weeds and marking the lines (incredibly precisely).
The Hornets owe a huge debt of gratitude to Steve, James and Andy as well as their families who have been so supportive. We thank them all and wish them the very best for the future.
Steve Tidy
Steve’s involvement goes back much further than his days as Chair. Prior to that he managed both of his sons teams from u8s through to Youth level. In the years before that he was in charge of the Men’s team, having first joined the club as a player at the age of 21.
We are hugely grateful to Steve for his long involvement in the club and major role in securing the clubhouse, setting up Saturday Morning Club, and starting our now thriving girls section.
His sons, Ben and Sam, were at the Beerfest in late June to help celebrate all of the hard work by their dad over the years. They recounted tales of watching their dad play on a Saturday afternoon and then checking the football results via teletext in the Lant Bar after the game!
Sam said: “some of our best childhood memories were playing football and hanging about at the lant. And in short, the point is that Steve ran that team alongside others as well because he loved playing and it was a great excuse to go and have a pint with his mates. For memory as well he was quite a player. He’s scored some unbelievable free kicks.”
“And then as we grew older he would manage both mine and my brothers teams. Who respectively did extremely well winning loads of titles and playing at decent levels.”
But very occasionally there would be frosting Sunday dinners with post match analysis from Steve including: “Should never have lost that game today”
Ben continued: “The key message in all of this is that he started just playing on a Saturday afternoon with his mates.
“Then he picked up mine and my brothers team from about 8 till 16 and gave me and Ben the opportunity to do what he did with his mates and now today the kids here have the same opportunity to grow playing the game in a great environment.
“He leaves the club in really safe hands and has found the right people to take the club further on and deserves recognition for his efforts.”
Steve thanked his fellow outgoing committee members, adding it was a pleasure to have been Chair, to have moved the club forwards, and that it has always been his passion to ensure that all children locally have the chance to play sport particularly football and cricket in their own area.
James Aspinall – Treasurer
James took on the key role of Treasurer while his son played for the club, but carried on long after his son’s playing days. He has left the club in a very sound financial position thanks to his careful management of the accounts over the years.
Andy King – Vice-Chair and Welfare Officer
Like Steve and James, Andy’s involvement began when his son played, but again he has carried on in his role post his son’s involvement in junior teams. We are very grateful for his work as Vice Chair and in the key position of Welfare Officer.
Mimi Rahman-Khan – Club Secretary
Mimi has played a vital role for our teams as Club Secretary. She has been in post for several years, and carried on for a few years after her son stopped playing for a Hornets Team. Thanks Mimi for all your hard work.
You can find out more about our new committee here.
