Fans gathered at The Meadow to celebrate the life of Roger Payne.
The match between Chesham United and Forest Green Rovers was not only the qualifier that could secure the teams a place in the First Round of the FA Cup, but a tribute to a revered figure at the club and beyond.
Roger Payne, Chesham United’s largest shareholder, sadly passed away on October 15, 2026; his death has had a huge impact on the club and its fans.
Before kick-off, the crowd joined together to sing Abide with Me, the FA Cup Hymn, and then erupted into a minute-long applause to pay tribute to Roger.
The stands were filled with claret and sky-blue flags and teary eyes, a beautiful moment for the club. Councillor Parveiz Aslam MBE, said on Facebook: “The late Roger Payne would have been very proud and a fitting tribute at the ground today. God bless Roger, you will be missed.”
Alex Horne, comedian and board member of Chesham United, described Robert Payne in an Instagram post as “the backbone of the club.”
Peter Brown, Chairman of Chesham United and close personal friend of Roger Payne, said, “This is a massive game for us. The people are coming to pay their respects to him because of what he did for the club since 2012, [it] was his investment into the club to make the club better, and it’s what we’re going to do, and carry on doing, and making this club bigger and better, so that people don’t just come here for football.”
Payne was a businessman who invested in the club to allow it to grow and become a community hub. He gave the club the facilities to host more than just football matches.
“We now have community days here. We have a wonderful community firework event,” Brown said. “People come here not just for a football match. They’re going to come here for something else that’s going on. Which is what it’s all about. And that’s what my ambition is for the club, to say, it’s a community asset.”
The anticipation for the match and celebration of Roger’s life was not only felt in the stadium; chants for “The Generals” could be heard throughout the high street and gaggles of teenagers in claret and blue scarves huddled outside the corner shops before the match.
“We’re trying to do something here; we’re trying to make things happen here. And this will happen, because it’s not just for us, it’s for our community.”
Peter Brown, Chairman
The community spirit was palpable at the match; in the clubhouse, everyone mingled, sharing their stories and memories. With the Premier League and Championship games taking place, local non-league clubs struggle to compete. But more than 1,000 people attended the match, with a substantial number of them travelling from Gloucestershire to support Forest Green Rovers.
“Football has always been a community event. I think a lot of it’s been taken away by the Premier League,” Brown told us.
Whilst the game was a stalemate, it was not a boring match. Both teams played with determination to qualify for the first round of the FA Cup, and the undercurrent of Roger Payne’s passing made this match all the more important and emotional for Chesham United’s players and fans.
Despite the tie being left undecided, this match and day will be in the club’s history forever. Brown has hope and ambition for United, championing community and keeping Payne’s memory alive.
“Roger never said much about community before he died, and for the last three or four years, when we started building this ethos of community,” Brown explained. “He just couldn’t stop saying the word. And he realised the total importance that we are to our community, and what our community is to us.”
Feature Image courtesy of @SheffGeoff on NonLeagueMatters Forum.