Welcome to Through the Turnstile, this series of features are intended to shine the light on some of non-leagues leading stars. The series is not intended to be about me, I am merely the impartial host who will be putting them all together for you to hopefully enjoy!

During each feature we will look back at the history of the club and the journey they have taken to be where they are today. The infrastructure at the club including the stadium, the staff, key players and the fan base. Of course, one of the main interest points is the matchday! So on every club we will look at what this looks like and how much £ it would set you back, from your ticket, a programme and a pint.

Finishing off with the clubs plans for the future. So without further ado let’s kick off the series with my very own hometown club: Chatham Town.

A brief history of the Club

Chatham Town Football Club, based in Kent, England, currently competes in the Isthmian Premier Division and is known as “The Chats.” Established in 1882 as Chatham United, the club has a rich history, including hosting the debut matches for both Portsmouth and West Ham United. Initially playing at “The Lines,” they moved to Maidstone Road Ground in 1889, prompted by a successful FA Cup quarter-final run. This move influenced the Football Association’s decision to mandate fully enclosed grounds for future FA Cup matches.

Throughout its history, Chatham experienced financial challenges, voluntary relegations, and league changes. After World War I, they won the Kent Victory Cup and rejoined the Southern League. Financial strains led to withdrawals, voluntary relegations, and a return to amateur status in the 1930s. Post-World War II, the club merged with Shorts F.C., adopting the name Chatham Town. Shifting between leagues, they joined the Southern League in 1983, but financial troubles forced a return to the Kent League in 1988.

Notable successes include league titles, cup wins, and a period of dominance in the 1970s. After a challenging period, former player John Adams brought success in the 1990s, but managerial changes and financial difficulties persisted.

Fast forward to recent years, and the club has seen many ups and downs. However with promotions secured in 2022 and 2023 they have moved this season into the Isthmian League Premier League, and not content with that the club is now currently sitting 2nd in the league, chasing promotion once more!

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatham_Town_F.C.)

Club legends (as told by Simon Baker)

Bobby Harrison – the club’s record goalscorer, lit up the stadium with his exquisite skills and goalscoring prowess, netting close to 300 goals in a decade long period during the 70’s which coincided with one of the club’s most successful periods. For fans of a certain age, Harrison was the maestro, and most certainly the first name on their all time Chats XI. Harrison sadly passed at a young age in 1987, and the stadium bar was later named ‘Bobby’s Bar’ in his memory.

Jack Evans – anyone who has watched Evo play in the last 5 years cannot fail to have been impressed by his superlative talent. Has an extraordinary collection of high quality goals to his name, including numerous direct free kicks, several from his own half and and numerous goals of a quality that just shouldn’t be allowed in non-league. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to watch such a supremely gifted player propel Chats up the divisions.

Kit

2023/2024 Chatham Town Home Kit

£35 Replica Kit – Available online or in the stadium shop.

https://shop.chathamtownfc.co.uk/products/replica-home-shirt-23-24

Stadium info

• Bauvill Stadium (Bournville Avenue, ME46LR)
• Capacity – 3000 (500 💺)
• Number of stands – 3
• Artificial turf
• Small on-site car park (free parking in surronding streets)

“Chatham Town are one of the most progressive non-league clubs in the country, and their march up the leagues from Step 5 has gone hand in hand with building strong community links and stadium improvements. During the last 5 years average gates have increased tenfold to the current 1300”

Simon Baker – A Chatham Town fan since 1983

Entry Price

Matchday Tickets
Adult – £12
Concessions – £8
U16’s – £3

Season tickets
Adult Season ticket – £200
Concessions Season ticket – £100
Under 16’s Season ticket – £45
Family Season ticket (2 Adults + 2 Children) – £400

Season ticket holders are also eligible for a 10% discount on food/drink whilst in the ground

Matchday Programme
£2.50

Stadium Shop

No half/half scarves here! Located inside the stadium itself is this small but functional club shop. The club sells everything from replica kits to branded mugs and even the famous traffic cone hat. The variety of merchandise on offer is actually more than some other league teams offer and provides excellent value for money.

A popular item of many football fans are the pin badges! Chatham town sell one of their own pin badges in the club shop, so you collectors out there have nothing to fear – you can grab yourself one the next time you visit!

Price – £3.50

Drinks

Bobby’s Sports Bar / Lounge

The main drink area on a match-day is Bobbys Sports Bar, located just inside the main entrance. Live sport is shown before the games on the big screens with comfortable lounge seats available as well as the traditional barstool.

Outside of matchdays, this area is open for sporting events as well as also being available for hire, providing a great option for those who want to throw a birthday in style or even host a large meeting or conference?

To find out more about this check out the website!
http://www.chathamtownfc.com/events-venue-hire/bobbys-bar/

There is also a smaller more functional bar at the opposite end of the stadium, behind the goal named ‘The Victory Bar’ this bar also serves an array of beverages, snacks and has a handful of tables with plenty of memorabilia proudly on display. Two bars = excellent!

Food

Food glorious food ! Now we have looked over the drinking establishments, lets have a little look at the food. Now as we all know food at the football can provide some of the best and some of the worst offerings. Chatham Town offer all of your football favourites at Bobby’s Food shack (next to the main entrance) as well as another burger stall at the other end of the stadium near the ‘Victory Bar’. There is also all of your standard pub snacks available from inside both of the matchday bars.

Due to the current success the club is witnessing, attendances are growing every week and it may well be that more food points are needed and made available in the near future to help deal with the hungry punters! And also to ensure the club doesnt miss out on vital revenue.

The recommended food to try at the ground…The Cheesy chips and priced at just £2.50 they are great value for money!

The Fab 4 – League Tables

Now lets now take a peek at the prices of 4 of the most popular items bought by fans on a matchday: Beer, Cider, Burger and Chips and a cup of tea. These 4 items will be included in all of the ‘Through the turnstile’ features and today we kick off the tables as below:

It is obviously exceptionally difficult to compare prices when there is just one team on the table but it will be very interesting to see how others match up against these benchmarks.

One thing to remember with Chatham Towns food/drink prices is that all Season ticket holders would receive a 10% discount off of these prices throughout the season. Season ticket holders the drinks are on you!

Top players

Jack Evans, Chris Dickson and Reece Butler

The spine of a team is so important and in these three, Chatham Town have a very solid base on which to build success from.

Local lad Reece Butler (CB) at the back is now in his 8th season with the club and is widely recognised by many as Mr dependable. Strong on and off the ball – he is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Jack Evans (CM) has been with the club since 2019, in those 4 years Evans has become the talisman of their success scoring 26 goals last year in their promotion season and to some already cemented himself as a legend of the club.

Chris Dickson “goals never done” (CF) – only signed in November 2023, yet the veteran striker has started nearly every game since his arrival, aged 38 now he is an instrumental part of the teams success this season since his arrival, showcasing his league experience with excellent hold-up play and poacher like finishes.

It’s a fantastic place to come and watch a football match. With big and growing attendances and a good friendly atmosphere, a great bar and facilities with live entertainment on after the game. All of this put together with some decent football provides one of the best match day experiences around.

Reece Butler (on why people should come along and attend a Chatham town match)

Views from the Staff

Q) What does your day to day role at the club look like?
As the Commercial Executive it is my job to speak to current sponsors to make sure that they are updated on all events and take advantage of the events on and off the pitch and it is also my job to secure new sponsors for the club to take advantage of what the club offers for their commitment to the club. And finally it is my job to secure match day sponsors and host their day.

Q) Why should businessss get involved with Chatham Town football club?
The current businesses that have committed to advertising boards have the advantage of free season tickets and monthly breakfast meetings in the VIP lounge to speak and meet the Chairman who can keep them up to speed on what is happening on the pitch and his outlook for the clubs future and for sponsors to speak to other sponsors where they may have similar business interests.

Q) What does Chatham Town mean to you?
After being the Chairman of a club in the SCEFL league it was always my ambition to achieve a higher level of football with that club but that did not work out and after my departure an invitation from the Chairman of Chatham gave me that opportunity to do that. It means a lot to me to be part of his journey, which I really enjoy.

Q) Why should people come down and support the team?
The ambition of the Chairman who has achieved back-to-back promotions gives the local community and supporters a club to be proud of and it’s the club’s ambition to reach the EFL giving high level football locally to everyone.

Q) Describe Chatham town in 3 words?
Community. Local. Football.

Q) What is the motto at the club?
We go by the saying: “Your Town. Your Club. You’re All Welcome”.

Q) What is it like to work at Chatham town?
Intense, fast-paced environment that’s ever-evolving. As Chatham continues to strive onto bigger and better, the work done behind the scenes never stops. You wouldn’t believe the amount of preparation that goes in on a day-to-day basis. The best way to describe it is a Non-League club trying to operate like that of a League club.

Q) What is your favourite thing about being involved with the club?
Cliche as it sounds… the people. From staff to players it’s always been a friendly and respectful environment. Plus I obviously just love that I can be involved with my local football club, doing a job that I enjoy.

Q) Biggest misconception about this level?
The rumours that surround the reported earnings of players! I do enjoy hearing supporters , reading social media posts regarding how much a player is supposedly earning. In conjunction with this, the misconception of how wealthy a club is. If only the public knew how much it costs to fund a club at this level! 

Q) How has the club got to where it is today?
A vision from the Chairman! A desire to be a club that fans can feel they are part of-and the main ingredient for that is the supporters and moreover, the community. Our community has been remarkable, right from day one. They have shown loyalty, kindness and care towards the club, all of which cannot be replaced by any sum of money. The late great Jock Stein famously claimed that “Football without fans is nothing” and this statement resonates with everyone who has the privilege of directing this great club. It has almost become our mantra, and I’m certain that if Jock hadn’t said it all those years ago, we would have somehow released a similar statement!!! We make an effort to ensure that we are familiar with and on first name terms with almost all of our fanbase as they walk through the turnstile. We feel that it’s important to build trust and display the fact that we care about our community, and that we are more than a football club. We’d like to consider ourselves as part of a huge family who all share the same wants and needs from everything a football club has to offer its fans…and more! Our care for the community doesn’t stop at the turnstile door-it’s a way of reaching out and connecting with a large number of people with the same passion. 

Q) Proudest moment since being with the club?
There’s been multiple! Too many to list or even mention, however, whilst I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved on the pitch, nothing makes me prouder than seeing a child asking a player for an autograph. This is wonderment and kindness in its purest form! It’s a privilege to see the amazement on their face when a player stops to sign a programme or pose for a selfie. In addition to this, everything we have contributed and assisted with over the years regarding our community brings me the most pleasure. Our work through COVID was heart warming and very moving at times, simply knowing we were making a small difference to someone’s life when they needed help. 

Q) What does the 5 year plan for the club look like?
The plan over this period is to continue to grow the academy, forge strong links with surrounding schools and youth clubs to enhance what we offer to our community and beyond. We have many exciting plans in the pipeline at present which we are working on solidly to be able to provide a safe, trusted area where everyone is welcome! In addition, we’re always looking to expand the stadium to accommodate fans from far and wide, home and away! 

Q) How do you manage the dual roles of your job?
I have to try and be well organised myself but in truth I rely heavily on all the great people we have at our club. There is great strength in people moving towards a common goal and that is what we have at Chatham. In whatever role people have they all care, egos are left at the door and we work together as a family to move the club forward. Every day is a different one and therefore we must ensure that we adapt to the challenges we face

Q) Attendances averages of well over 1000 most games, how does that feel?
To sum it up in one word..it’s very “moving!” It never fails to amaze me exactly how much support this town and community give us. They have given us support, friendship, acceptance and hope-none of which can be measured by any value, but purely by kindness. I hope in return, we have provided them with moments they will cherish…and one day they can tell the younger generation…”I was there!”.

Q) What would you say to a football fan who is thinking of giving non-league football a go?
You won’t regret it! I wanted to recreate that magical feeling when my Dad took me to a Chats game 40 years ago and now I see young and old alike enjoying real football. Non-League football will provide you with magical moments, low moments and everything in between! However, I can assure you that if you go and watch non league football, you are contributing to the future of that club…no matter small the entrance fee or how many cups of tea you buy..it gets returned and invested into the club to assist in securing it’s future. Grassroots football is the pyramid that holds up the game in this country and without it, it wouldnt be the same, so please give it a try.

View from the fans

Q) What is a match day like at Chatham town?
Crazy, it seems to get better and better, since we have been playing well and winning games, I have noticed that people are getting there earlier and the singing gets louder every week.

Q) Greatest success you’ve had as a fan?
It would probably be when we lifted the league trophy last season. However favourite moment as a fan during a match was when I was standing next to the goal at an away game, we scored, and all the players came and jumped on top of us to celebrate, it still gives me goosebumps just talking about it.

Q) Worst moment to date?
Losing to Hastings at home, whilst the company I work for were sponsoring the game.

Q) Why do you keep coming back?
It has to be the people, and by that, I mean everyone, from the staff to the owners, its just like one big family.

Q) Why should people come to watch your club?
It’s a lot to do with all the people, you are just so close to the game, also with top clubs you very rarely get to meet the players, as I said earlier the players come and celebrate with the suporters and you feel like you are genuinely appreciated for being there.

Q) Favourite player to date?
Reece Butler

Q) Favourite chant?
We’ve got super Kevin Hake. He will take us to victory. With butler at the back Dickson in attack. The chats are going to win the isthmian premier league

Q) Best away day food?
Horsham away! Chilli beef and chips!

Q) Value for money on a matchday?
Absolutely – you get to have a pint outside and watch the football at the same time, plus with cheesey chips for just £2.50 what more could you want!

Q) Why should people come to watch your club?
Because we are a club for all and help one another when needed and we always try and entertain before, during, and after the game.

Future plans as told by Kevin Hake (Chairman/Manager)

What are the future plans for:

● Stadium: To expand and continue to enhance our spectator experience by providing a stadium they can be proud of.

 ● Academy: To keep providing education, a safe place and football for all, regardless of your academic achievements. We would like to expand and accommodate more cohorts or young people but this is only achievable through employing more staff to cater for this expansion. But we are working on it! 

● Recruitment: We are always looking to improve the club which means we need more staff and ultimately revenue. The club has gone a long way in a short time so its difficult to cater for that at times but we are learning.

● Community projects: We are continuously looking for ways to reach our community, especially the young and vulnerable to attempt to entice them into a life of sport. We have just introduced our FREE Community Hour on the main pitch and its proving very popular. Our door is always open to any organisations looking to be part of exciting community initiatives. We have a few to be announced very soon which include further collaborations with local schools which I am really pleased with.

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So that brings us to the end of the inaugural ‘Through the Turnstile’.

Chatham Town are clearly a club that have a plan for the future and even with their rapid success and growth over the past 5 years they have not only maintained the link between their fans but built on it. The club personifies community spirit – even in my short time of working in and around non-league football I can already tell that community spirit is the mainstay of non-league football, but Chatham Town just might be leading the way!

So you know what to do…pop the coat on and head on to to The Bauvill stadium to watch Chatham Town in action and why not try those cheesy chips out too while you are at it!