Former director passes away
Bath City have expressed their sadness at the passing of former director, Bath City Supporters Society chairman and founder of the Foundation Pete Sellwood following a long illness.
Club director Shane Morgan said: “To say that Pete played an important part in my involvement at the club would be an understatement. He actively recruited me to the Supporters Society committee in 2010 and then supported me in replacing him as the Society representative on the club’s board in 2011. He also co-opted me onto the board of trustees of the Foundation.
“Pete was instrumental in making the Society more accessible to the fans. Before his chairmanship it was a bit of a closed shop due to the high investment needed to be a member. He made it affordable for all to join. He increased the Society’s shareholding in the club through a programme of fundraising. His tenure at the Society set in motion the process that led us to being the community owned club we are today.
“He also almost single-handedly set up the Foundation and ran it full time with no remuneration. He was a champion of girls’ and women’s football long before it was fashionable. Without his drive, dedication and considerable acumen the Foundation would not have existed. Both the Foundation and the Supporters’ Society should be eternally thankful for his efforts, I certainly am.”
In a statement on the club’s website, they said: “Pete brought much needed stability to the Society when he became chairman and he diligently represented the supporters’ organisation as a director of the club between 2011 and 2012.
“Pete’s first involvement with Bath City had been through a supporters’ action group. This saw the first steps to forging closer ties between the club and local community and successful initiatives like the Milsom Street stall, poster campaigns and newsletters were down to his creativity and enthusiasm.
“His organisation skills were fully utilised with the creating of the Bath City Community Sports Foundation in 2010 and it becoming a registered charity the following year.
“It developed quickly as an important resource for children and young adults in the Bath & North East Somerset area working with local schools and youth groups and with other charitable organisations in the support of the disadvantaged within the local community.
“Amongst other initiatives introduced by Pete were the Summer and Easter Soccer Schools that on any one day attracted up to 100 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 16.
“Pete was very successful in attracting grants to fund the Foundation’s work and this enabled it to employ a team of coaches drawn from the Bath City playing staff and the local universities. They coached children of all ages both during and after school and organised tournaments for schools to compete in alongside the promoting and developing of girls’ football.
“Recognition of his dedication came in 2015 when Bath City FC was voted Community Club of the Year by the Football Conference Trust.
“The thoughts of all connected with the club are with Pete’s family and friends at this sad time.”