Good afternoon everyone and can I extend a particularly warm welcome to this the first home league game of the season and, more importantly, the first ever league game at our new home, The Globe Arena.

In particular, we are delighted to extend our hospitality to the Directors, Officials, Players and Supporters of Rotherham United who, like us, achieved a play off position last season but, again, like us, failed to get over the line into League 1. I am sure that they will be pushing hard again this season with the aim of trying to secure an automatic promotion spot.

I am writing these notes early on the Tuesday morning prior to the League Cup fixture against Coventry City as it will be hectic around the Globe Arena all day with a huge number of people working hard to ensure that the fixture against the Blues goes off as smoothly as possible. Then, like today, there will undoubtedly be teething problems and issues that we had not fully contemplated but I hope that all supporters and officials will understand that this has been a massive undertaking for the club and however well planned it may be, things will always be missed.

I am confident that over the next few games we will all settle into our new surroundings and start to feel at home.

It would be remiss of me not to thank a whole range of people who have invested a massive amount of time and personal resource into this project to try and ensure that it is successful. There are far too many to mention individually but to you all a huge "thank you" from the entire Board of Directors.

At this point I think it is essential that we all keep the ground move in perspective. It has not been done as a short term improvement but in an effort to help secure league football in Morecambe

indefinitely. In the same way as Mr. Christie donated land in trust to the football club back in the 1920's to secure its future, the move to The Globe Arena is a similar step change in the progress of the football club.

This move is not about today or even this season it is about a much longer strategic move and any immediate or short term problems we may come across, such as the delayed opening, should be kept in perspective within the bigger picture.

With the new Arena comes a whole host of additional facilities that could never be provided at Christie Park and I hope you will take time over the next few weeks to look for yourselves at what is available and then use the Arena for your own functions. It may be the Wright & Lord Function Suite for a family event or the corporate boxes for a meeting or conference, alternatively the more active amongst you may wish to avail yourselves of the all weather pitches behind the Stadium itself followed by a beer in the new bar on the ground floor. However you may want to use this Arena, the key for us is to make it the hub of Morecambe with lots of people and organisations taking advantage of the wide range of facilities available.

Enjoy the ground and enjoy the match, find your new favourite space and make it your home.