In advance of Friday's presentation by Margaret Hodge MP of a community award to John and Gill Faherty - a press release has been issued. Reproduced below is the full version including background information on the vital and tireless work that John and Gill have carried out in the last two years on behalf of the club.
PRESENTATION BY MARGARET HODGE MP TO GILL AND JOHN FAHERTY
BACKGROUND
Barking Football Club was founded in 1880 and for about 100 years was the leading club in Barking and Dagenham. We played on the Vicarage Field in the centre of Barking which we developed to the standard of the current Football League Division 1 or 2. In 1973 we were forced by the London Borough of Barking, who owned the ground, to move to a much inferior site in Mayesbrook Park where we continued to represent the town of Barking for 129 years to date. We managed to make some improvements to the ground but much remains to be done.
Mark Harris writes “In 1980 the club committee voted for the club to be taken into private ownership. This was done to allow a popular local businessman, Roy Herterich, to invest in the club. Roy died suddenly in 1981. It took many years until the hopes of everyone at the club were again lifted in the summer of 2004 when another very popular figure, club sponsor Peter Webster, took over the club. Peter initiated a complete overhaul of the club but tragedy struck again when he died suddenly of a heart attack after just six months in charge. The hole left by Peter proved to be much too great for his successors to fill and in 2006 the club entered voluntary liquidation. However, even the darkest clouds have a silver lining and Gill and John stepped in to the breach. The couple spent many of their early days in charge fighting to keep the club alive, but since then they have instilled a new belief off the pitch and the appointment of former player Steve Munday, who, to quote Gill, has Barking FC at heart, as first team manager has given the club new direction on the pitch.”
John is a lifelong supporter and voluntary worker for the club and remembers his first game at The Vicarage Field when, aged five, he was taken by his father to watch us play The Show Biz XI in a charity match.
In 2007 our manager and first team players were attracted to another club and reserves manager Dave Ross took over until the middle of last season.
So Gill and John were faced with running a club which had, in Dave Ross a new manager who had done very well at youth and reserves level but was inexperienced at senior level, no first team players and just income from gate money from our low attendances (which have dwindled from many thousands in our more successful times to around 60 now), sums raised by fund raising at games and donations from supporters.
Gill and John said “We owe a great debt to Jimmy Chapman, chairman of Redbridge FC, as the club had no money and he paid our league fees for which we are still very grateful, and to Dave Ross who stepped in as manager and enabled us to complete the season.”
It should be stressed that everything at the club, including playing, is done on a voluntary basis. Our players play because of their love of football and the club – genuine amateurs in the correct meaning of the word. All the income raised goes on running the club including paying the referees and their assistants, fees to county associations, leagues and cup competitions, rent to the council for use of the ground and until recently maintenance of the ground.
As part of our commitment to the community we run two adult teams (first and reserves) and three youth teams (Under 18, Under 16 and Under 15 with more planned for the future). There are also women’s teams. Plans are being developed for further community work.
JOHN AND GILL FAHERTY
Without the commitment and dedication of Gill and John the club would have folded. The work is very time consuming (Gill and John have jobs too) and has been very stressful because of the problems. It includes inter alia attending regular meetings of the Essex Senior League and with the council, attending meetings for the Essex, Hertfordshire and Bordering Counties Combination (reserve team) and Gill is also a delegate for that league and attends their committee meetings (in effect she is the liaison officer between the clubs and the committee), liaising with opponents re arrangements for matches, confirming referees and assistants, registering players, managing income and expenditure , trying to find sponsors and advertisers, raffles and other fund raising at games (done by Gill), arranging the printing of programmes.
Gill and John are the first to pay tribute to the many volunteers who assist in keeping the club going but, when necessary, Gill and John do anything that needs doing including taking admission money at the gate, cleaning toilets and dressing rooms, arranging washing of players’ kit.
There are too many active volunteers to mention individually, but Gill says “thank you to all the people who have helped us and continue to do so - their help has been absolutely fantastic”
Mark Harris adds “'I decided to write to Margaret Hodge MP in the summer because I wanted to bring to her attention all the positive things that have been going on at Barking FC since Gill and John took over. When we went into liquidation a couple of years ago I think many people thought it would be the end of us. You read about football clubs at our level going out of business with depressing regularity but Gill and John were determined that wouldn't be the case with us. I think one of the biggest problems they had was getting rid of this perception but last season seemed to be a major turning point for the whole club. People realized that we have a Chairman and Secretary running the club who are football fans first and foremost and who are determined not only to keep the club going but to take it forward. It was as if the dark clouds that have surrounded the club for many years suddenly started to part and we could see a little bit of blue sky - a bit of hope. Having Gill and John running the club really is a breath of fresh air, they care passionately about the club and really have put their hearts and souls into getting the place running properly again. And more than that, they do it with smiles on their faces. I was so chuffed when Mrs Hodge wrote back saying she wanted to give Gill and John an award. I received her letter on a Saturday morning before a game and couldn't wait to tell Gill, just to see the look on her face! I told her and I think she was in shock for a little while, she was certainly lost for words. She's quite a romantic at heart and she wanted to keep it as a surprise for John. But then we realised that Mrs Hodge's office would be doing a press release and that we'd have to liaise with the press about the visit to the ground. We had a game away at Buckingham Town in the FA Vase recently and when we were on the coach Gill and I were discussing the best way to tell John the good news. I said to Gill that if Barking won I'd make an announcement after the game. The team played brilliantly that day and won the game 5-2. So before we boarded the coach home we called everyone together, players, management, committee and supporters. I made the announcement and a huge cheer went up! It was the icing on the cake and contributed to a great day. I'm so pleased for Gill and John, they are the ideal people to be running the club. They deserve this as a reward for their hard work and sacrifices over the last couple of years. And the knowledge that Margaret Hodge has taken an interest in what's going on at Barking FC has lifted the spirits of everyone at the club.”
PRESENTATION BY MARGARET HODGE, MP FOR BARKING
Gill and John’s contribution came to the attention of Ms Hodge when committee member Mark Harris wrote to her in the summer highlighting the many improvements taking place at the club's Mayesbrook HQ and the new sense of purpose at the club
Ms Hodge replied “It is always good to hear about people who are willing to give up their time and go that extra mile for the community. I run a Community Awards Scheme for people who have benefitted the community and I would like to present Mr and Mrs Faherty with one of these awards.”
The presentation will take place at our Mayesbrook Park ground at 3.15 pm on Friday 18th September.
The club are looking for a volunteer to man the turnstile for Reserve team home games - ideally this would be an opportunity for any supporter who doesn't travel to away games.
Johnny Offei will complete his suspension by missing the Southend match and will be available for the F A vase tie against Basildon United
If you were at last nights reserve team game or have seen our Facebook page then you will know already we have a superb new flag courtesy of Brad Robinson. The flag will also be making an appearance at Saturdays game against Basildon.
Scott Borthwick has served his suspension but Johnny Offei misses two more games which, provided that league cup matches count, would make him available for selection for the FA Vase match on September 19th. 
