CANARIES’ RESCUE BID TAKES OFF
Hitchin on way to raising vital £25,000
DELIGHTED manager Mark Burke has saluted the ‘unbelievable’ response to Hitchin Town’s plea for vital financial support.
The Southern League Premier Central outfit launched their Canary Crisis Fund Crowdfunder last Friday in the hope of raising £25,000 to carry out essential health and safety work at their Top Field home.
Among the jobs that need doing are the replacement of part of the main stand’s roof, perimeter fencing, concrete path repairs and an internal rebuild of the old tea bar.
Without doing the works, the Canaries would be unable to pass their next ground grading and face relegation. But the signs are promising – by the middle of the week almost £14,000 had been pledged, putting them well on their way to reaching their goal.
Hitchin legend Burke, the club’s second-highest appearance-maker with 732 in two decades, has been bowled over by the support.
“We were a bit nervous when we launched it because we know a lot of people are struggling for money, but the response has surpassed anything we could have dreamt of,” he said. “We are so thankful to everyone who’s supported us.
“We made a cry for help in 2014, when developers wanted to put a supermarket on the ground and the community came out and supported us – and now they are doing it again. It’s brilliant – there’s a really good feeling around the club at the moment and we’ve also had an increase in volunteers.
“The Covid situation has been terrible for many people, but if there was a positive thing to come out of it, it is that people are willing to help each other out a bit more now.”
And Burke has been heartened by the new ‘feelgood factor’ at the Hertfordshire outfit.
“We’ve always tried to be a community club,” explained the 53-year-old. “Among others, we have numerous youth teams and we try to integrate with the community – and they are responding.
“At the end of the day, they are our fans and they feel they are getting a bit of ownership of the club. “The volunteers are feeling part of it – they are sweeping up, painting and doing lots of jobs around the club. There’s a good spirit.”
Character
On the football front, Burke has led the tributes to the versatile Josh Bickerstaff, who has been forced to retire at the age of 29 due to a persistent hip injury.
The PE teacher played 320 games for the Canaries, scoring 16 goals, and will be a big miss in the coming campaign.
“He’s been a brilliant servant for us,” said Burke, who took charge in 2013. “He’s Mr Dependable. I’ve asked him to play in a number of positions – left-back, centre-back, holding midfield, left wing-back – and he’s done it without any qualms. He always acquitted himself very well.
“He’s very vocal in the changing room, a popular character and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
It’s a sign of the esteem in which Bickerstaff is held that Burke has earmarked him for an important new role at the club.
“We are bringing him on board to coach the development squad, which will bridge the gap between the youth set-up and the first team,” he added.
“It’s hard to give up playing at such a young age, but we want to keep him involved. He’s got a lot of knowledge, he’s a Hitchin man and hopefully he will go on to become a very good coach and manager.”
To contribute to Hitchin Town’s fundraising, go to: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/canarycrisis-fund