A VITAL link forged between Petersfield's major football clubs will be the catalyst for a brighter footballing future for the young and not so young in the town. That is the verdict of Ian Essai, chairman of both Petersfield Town and Petersfield Town Juniors, who spoke of the watershed decision to affiliate both clubs. Consequently, the senior club will be revitalised by utilising the expertise and experience of junior club members, while aspirations to continue playing in Petersfield will spur junior club members. Previously, both clubs existed as separate entities, and while the juniors came to the rescue of the senior club last July, a meeting last Monday formalised the decision to move forward together. Telling a story of two vastly different clubs, Mr Essai remarked: "For many years, the senior club has been held together by Dave Ayers and Mark Nicholl, and it has been a struggle to keep the senior club going. "For a period of 10 to 20 years it has slowly been getting worse, with a lack of support, a lack of money and sponsorship and a lack of footballing excellence which has prevented us going up the footballing pyramid. "On the other side of the fence – literally – is the juniors. Operated entirely by an abundance of 85 volunteers, with 22 teams, they are one of the largest clubs in Hampshire, and have community affiliations with the FA. "The club has been going from strength to strength since 1975, and it's grown rapidly over the last seven to 10 years. It's a well oiled machine." Town mayor Paul Molloy, who has forged close links with the football club, also heralded the decision. "This is a necessary link and one that had to happen for the club to move forward to become a community one." There will now be a greater degree of co-operation and working together between the two clubs who have worked separately before now, and that's tremendous news for the town." Mr Essai continued to describe the dilemma faced when a junior player reaches 18 and has nowhere to play in Petersfield, costing the senior club a lifeblood of talent. "There is nowhere for them to go and they end up leaving for other clubs, not Petersfield," he said. "What we want to do is create that link for those kids that want a career in semi-professional football to aspire to something in Petersfield. "And we want support from the people of Petersfield. We want companies to help with sponsorship." While a footballing link will be created, there are no plans for both clubs to be joined financially. "They will be kept separate. I will not allow the juniors to fund the seniors," he said. Citing the town's rugby club as "one big happy family", Mr Essai used the Penns Place social centre as an example to aspire towards. "It is a brilliant facility with the first team and the kids there, with a great social support with volunteers coming in abundance." However, he admitted that refurbishment of the Love Lane ground would cost "hundreds of thousands of pounds", yet he spoke of a desire for the seniors to "stand on their own two feet". "One of the ways of raising cash is to have fundraising events," he explained. Using the experience gleaned from the annual junior six a side tournament, which attracts 5,000 people to the town, Mr Essai spoke of an exciting event on the horizon. "On April 20, we will play host to a team of Chelsea old boys. "We could attract 1,200 people to the Love Lane ground to a fun day, and with the support of the community, people from Petersfield and its surrounding areas will have a fantastic day, all the while making money for and supporting the club," he said.
