Nick Melton – Welcome to the Stoop.

Mark Evans – Afternoon Ladies and Gentleman, Dean will deal with all the playing stuff, so this is the stuff you either won’t report, aren’t interested in and frankly will just switch off from for the next five minutes. O.K.

Non- Playing stuff over the summer – Obviously the launch of our new major sponsor Etihad Airlines, really pleased to have brought that in, 3 year deal, I’m not going to rehash all that. Fastest growing airline in the world, 46 destinations and Abu Dhabi is an interesting place I can tell you, from personal experience.

We have also resigned 3 other of our official sponsors, Green King, eTeach and Norton Rose on contracts of varying lengths, Lexus was already our fourth sponsor, we are as strong as we ever have been in my time in this area.

You will have noticed that the South Stand, that magnificent structure, that has served us so well, since we got it for about twopence ha’penny, in a car boot sale ten years ago, is being replaced. Before anyone from the local media gets too excited, I would like to stress, that this is not to pave the way for the new south stand, the permanent structure, that planning permission is currently being considered by Richmond upon Thames local borough. This a is a temporary structure, same number of seats, it’s better because it is new rather than old and will have a roof, so for the first time we can say the Twickenham Stoop will be an all covered stadium, all seater, all covered, still 12500-ish capacity.

It’s just for our supporters, every year we try to do something to improve the quality, put a bit more investment into the ground, upgrade the facilities, 3 years ago it was the north stand, 2 years ago it was the Lexus, last season we put up the new scoreboards and a new P.A system, and this year we are putting in an improved South Stand. That is NOT the permanent solution; it is NOT the four and a bit thousand capacity stand, that is in plans that we have submitted. That is more likely to come on stream, finances allowing, January 2009 or 2010.

Season tickets – our target for corporate and individual season tickets is 6500, an increase on last year of about 400, haven’t quite got there yet, we’re not far off, I think we’ve got about 350 still to go for that. I think we are on about 6150 as we speak, so I am reasonably confident we’ll hit that number by the first game on at the Stoop on September 22nd, against Leeds Carnegie, note I did not just get the name wrong. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, Hurry Hurry Hurry, while stocks last!

Other things over the summer - Delighted that Dean signed a contract extension just after the season ended in May, we have secured his services for another 3 years beyond the one year that was still remaining on his former contract. Clearly we launched our first away strip for 141 years a couple of week ago and that has had an interesting (!) response amongst the fan base. We look forward to parading that at Newcastle on the 28th.

Aims – To keep growing quicker than our competitors, I think, a few years back we were 11th in the attendance league, now I think we are fifth, we’d like to push on from there for the next year and the following years, capacity allowing and also in terms of season ticket holder numbers and revenues. I’d like to get the planning permission for the South Stand done, before the year ends, so we could look at some coherent financing options for that, I’d like to break into the top six and stay there on the playing side. I think that is an achievable aim, target, call it what you will, for the upcoming season.

Thanks

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