Dave Boswell, Front of House and Accounts

What is your connection to the club?

I was the club’s company secretary for more than 25 years. After standing down last year, I now help with front of house duties on match days, look after the accounts for the Academy and Community side of the club and I prepare an analysis of the accounts for the club every month.

What do the roles involve?

I work with Madeline in the front of house reception on match days making sure directors know where to go and greeting players and anyone coming through reception. I also ensure the accounts are up to date for the Community and Academy and oversee the club’s main accounts, too, preparing a summary report of what I see.

How did you initially get into working for the club?

I was originally a supporter on the terraces, but when the club went through the difficult period in the early 90s, Dave Skinner, Steve Irving and Norman Grimes asked me to get more involved.

I was on the Dartford FC Supporters Association committee, then I became club secretary. I also used to look after the Reserve team for a number of years on a Saturday.

Why did you step down as club secretary last year?

I got to a point after 25 years where I felt I needed a break from it. I was with former Co-Chairman Dave Skinner when he died and I suppose it made me reflect on my own life a little. He was a life-long friend and without him the club wouldn’t be what it is today.

What does the club mean to you?

I moved to Dartford when I got married in 1985, so I really hadn’t heard of Dartford before that. And the reason I started watching was because they were managed by Peter Taylor then and I’ve been a Crystal Palace fan all my life. So, it’s kind of natural that I came along to watch and then I was hooked!

Any matches that stick out in your mind?

The first match in the new stadium. It was a massive day for the club from where we had been, it was a day that made a huge difference to our history and was a springboard for the successful years leading up to the National League. We had a tremendous five or six seasons at that time.

It was an amazing feeling to get into the stadium. To see some of my friends – tough old characters – crying at the beginning, it was quite a thing and meant so much to so many people.

What does the club mean to you?

It’s been a big part of my life for, as I say, for 30 years, I suppose. If we win, I’m happy and if we lose, it can ruin your weekend! It means a huge amount. You want to see the successful years return. My wife’s convinced I’m more in love with the club, than her!

What’s your take on the current Darts side?

The football had got a bit stale and a lot of people lost interest. But I think Ady is doing a great job, the atmosphere is back and you are seeing an uptick in supporters again.

Supporters look forward to watching a team that’s trying and working for each other. And that makes a big difference. If you lose or draw, but can see the team has put the effort in, then I think everyone can go home and while maybe not be happy, can see the team is doing something.

I think that we’ve got that feel-good factor back to a large extent now. And of course, we are near the top, which is an amazing achievement from where we were.

There’s a lot of games still to play, but it feels as though we are all going in the right direction.