Latest Clubhouse News

Dear Players & Parents,

The building work at our Clubhouse is still on course to be finished by this coming weekend.

We now need to face up to the implications of having our own proper Clubhouse (rather than a clubhouse-cum-building site). Its an exciting time ahead.

CLUBHOUSE MANAGER

The Club now needs someone else to step forward to make the decisions needed for the Clubhouse to become a great venue that we can all be proud of.

To be 100% clear, I shall NOT be going for this role myself as I have thrown all my efforts into getting the building finished and I am going to treat myself to a proper rest whether anyone thinks it is well-deserved or not! I also need to start looking for a job…

We need to get the right furniture for the place as well as decide when it will be open and make sure sufficient people are trained up to do what needs to be done. I envisage the Clubhouse Manager would make the decisions that need to be made, reporting to the existing Committee, in much the same way as the existing Club Captain or Secretary look after their areas of responsibility. It will be an important post but I expect it will prove to be immensely rewarding as the place really “takes off”. I expect that the Clubhouse Manager would have other people running each of the various aspects, such as the bar, the kitchen, bookings etc. but there is no “job description” at the moment so there is freedom for the right person to create the role in the way they want.

If you want to apply please let us all know at clubhouse@millwallrugby.com – we would all be interested in hearing your thoughts.

CLUBHOUSE CLEANER

The committee has already decided to pay someone (or a company) to clean the Clubhouse on a regular, weekly basis. We are inviting people interested to contact us – we will pay ‘the going rate’. Personally I would prefer our money to go to someone within the club rather than outside to a professional cleaner or a cleaning company, so if you know someone in the club, or a parent of someone in the youth section, who might like some extra cash then please make sure they see this message.

If you want to recommend someone you know, please tell us what you can about them .

Although details would be sorted out with the Clubhouse Manager, I expect it would require a couple of hours early-ish on a Sunday morning (maybe 7.30 to 9.30am) and perhaps another hour during the week.

CLUBHOUSE OPENING DAY & PARTY

As you may already know, Saturday 28th March has been set for our formal opening ceremony and party. That’s only 2 Saturdays from now and there is still loads to get ready.

With building work finishing this week, we need to use all of this coming weekend and next week to get the place really clean and looking its very best. We also need to get all the photos and other memorabilia up on the walls in good time. Don’t wait for me or Wiggy to ask for helpers on a particular day – just get together with a few others, get a key and get it done.

On the day itself we will have the formal opening at around the players’ “meet time”. After someone has ‘cut the ribbon’ the players can have a quick look around before going off to their games, leaving the guests to a buffet lunch in the clubhouse.

After the matches, when the adult players return (hopefully victorious), that’s when the party will really start. Apart from Fancy Dress and live music, we want everyone to “bring a plate” to create a great spread keep the masses happy and well fed. We did this before (at our 10th Birthday Party) and people really did the club proud with the food they brought down so I hope we can pull out all the stops and do it even better this time. All club members, young and old, are very welcome and we hope lots of the ex-players will come down and join us for the evening.

All suggestions and offers of help should go, in the first instance, to Wiggy on socialsecretary@millwallrugby.com . We will put up a suggested food list shortly on the club website, to help give people an idea what to bring, but if you have something special please let us know.

CLUBHOUSE PHOTOS

A year or so ago, Matt Shorrock produced a photo montage/video of the progress made by club members in the first few months of having the Clubhouse (set to “Stairway to Heaven” if I recall correctly). It was even on YouTube. If someone knows how to create these and could put one together for the photos of all of the building work done in the last year or so that would be a fantastic thing to show at the opening.

We also need you to get your best photos mounted in large frames to go on the walls so we can all see them.

TIME CAPSULE

Until Friday this week, we have an opportunity to hide a small “time capsule” container somewhere within the building that will probably stay undisturbed for many, many years. If someone wants to put one together (no bigger than a kids lunchbox) then I’ll happily get the builders to conceal it for future Millwallians to discover. After Friday, its too late.

AND FINALLY…

A huge thank you to the many, many volunteers that have helped Claire Higgins (our original Clubhouse Co-ordinator) and myself over the months and years it has taken to bring our clubhouse dream to its reality. Volunteers have sledge-hammered walls, brought down ceilings, demolished boilers, continually cleaned, painted, fund-raised and donated to make it possible. I know it’s a cliché but we really couldn’t have done it without you. If I could name it after all those who got off their bums and actually helped I really would – I hope you feel that the finished product is worthy of your efforts. This club is so much richer for having members willing to get their hands dirty and I hope the others appreciate it as much as I do.

Cheers,
Mike Costin
Chairman
Millwall Rugby Club