JAMIE STUART has promised that his Grays Athletic players will be sharing a beer with fans after games win, lose or draw – as the Ryman Premier club aim to raise £30,000 by the end of the month to become fan-owned.
A community share scheme has been launched after former owner Andy Swallow announced he was stepping away from the day-to-day running.
Working with Supporters Direct, Blues supporters have the opportunity to purchase shares of up to £10,000 and become part of the newly formed Grays Athletic Community football club.
Connected
They need to raise the funds by July 31 to get the all-clear from the FA and league. On the pitch, new boss Stuart is busy assembling his squad and he wants the fans, who used to cheer him on as a player, to feel connected with the new wave.
“I've spoken to a lot of people who are buying shares – they love the club and at the minute it's going well,” Stuart told The NLP.
“We had an open training day last weekend for the fans to come and meet the players and myself.
“I think that's important. I remember being at Grays years ago. No matter if we won, lost or drew, home or away, all the players mingled with the fans.
“A lot of clubs don't do it. The players play and then make their own way home. But I think it's very important and I'm going to make sure it happens.
“If we are winning the fans are happy, if we're losing they're hurting. It's their club, they come and pay their money to watch, so it's good to get feedback. Sometimes you might not like it, but you've got to accept it.”
Stuart, who was Nikki Bull's assistant at Margate last season, says his affinity and success with the club – he won the FA Trophy twice, as well as promotion from the Conference South – is driving him on in his first job as manager.
“I've got a lot of good memories in football,” said the 39-year-old, who was promoted to the Football League with AFC Wimbledon in 2011.
“But being at Grays for those years, with the success and the team we had, was probably the highlight of my career.
Together
“The team bond was fantastic. Even though we had fantastic players, I think that makes a big difference between doing well and not.
“We were always together, went out, we got on, and we knew each other really well. That's what I'll be trying with my team now.
“I know it's early days. You build a new team and it takes a while to gel. But I'm going to get them together straightaway. We'll have days out, go-karting, things like that.
“Grays is a big part of my life. I will give it everything I've got to make them as successful as possible. I want to build a team that work hard for each other and add some flair in as well.”
