Hayley Thomas, Operations Manager’s Assistant

What is your connection to the club?

I’ve been the assistant to Jack, the operations manager, for the past six years.

What does the role involve?

I do a little bit of everything around the club. I look after all the pitches and pitch bookings. I’m the academy secretary so arrange the fixtures and deal with all their team sheets and ensure players are registered.

We look after and manage the Champions Bar, the burger bar and food outlets and the sweet shop.

On match days, I’m a little bit more floating now. So, I’ll be wherever I’m needed, the other day I was in the kitchen cooking shepherd’s pie! So, depending on staffing levels, it’s a very varied role. One day you could be in the club shop, hanging shirts up, the next day, washing kit in the kit room.

How did the position come about?

I’ve been here 10 years altogether, but I worked in the bar before and so I knew the person before me was leaving and I applied for the job and it was perfect hours with my children being in school.

What changes at the club have you overseen?

We worked on the Skinners Bar over the summer and the Champions Bar, which are both doing well. And the burger bar outside, was our idea, which we’ve now taken over running.

I’ve taken over the mascots and we now offer a package with about 11 booked in across the season.

We are always trying to think of ways to make the club extra money!

What are the key attributes for the role?

One day you need to be helping people at the ground and the next you are trying to arrange a party in the bar or washing kits. So, I suppose it’s being able to adjust to the different things that go on, day-to-day.

You watch a lot of matches, is there a favourite that sticks in your mind?

I love an FA Youth Cup game. I love watching the youngsters and have a soft spot for the kids. I see how hard it is for children to make it in football and I find it quite difficult to think about the ones who don’t make it, like what do they do next?

So, I do enjoy the FA Cup Youth Games. You see the passion from the players. It means so much to them.

What about the first team, any favourite players so far?

I can’t say as they’ll read it and give me a load of grief!

How do you think the team is gelling?

We had the disappointment of relegation last year, so I think Ady’s done a great job bringing in players that have got a bit of passion, that want to play here, and you can see that. And I think the team has gelled really quickly and they get along with each other – that’s something we haven’t had at Dartford for a while.

We’ve had a lot of comings and goings, but you can feel that they are more of a team now and everyone gets on with everyone. It’s a happy place to come into.