STONES THROWN IN NEW BOARD SWITCH
WEALDSTONE’S interim chairman Rory Fitzgerald insists the decision of the board of directors to oust chief Peter Marsden wasn’t taken lightly despite revealing the club’s £750,000 loss over the last three years.
Fitzgerald was appointed as the new temporary chief at the club’s AGM on Tuesday night after the board of the National League South Stones voted to remove Marsden, who declined the opportunity to attend the emergency meeting.
Mark Randall was voted in as vice-chairman, also on an interim basis, ahead of the next AGM on February 3.
In a statement, Fitzgerald explained: “Peter’s contribution both financially and as a director has been a huge boost to the club however a change of leadership was needed to both return the club to a more sustainable footing and to formulate a clear plan on how to progress the club both on and off the pitch.
“The decision to replace Peter as chairman wasn’t taken lightly, it was taken in the best interests of the football club.
“The executive board have given every opportunity for Peter to work alongside his co-directors and embrace activity within the business.
“Unfortunately, in the two-and-a-half years as chairman, Peter has not only failed to maintain a working relationship with current members of the board and members of previous boards.
“The Board believe it should be viewed as an honour and a privilege to be a director of Wealdstone FC with its proud history and some of the best fans in Non-League football.
“We are confident we will find the balance between ambition and sustainability; our initial priority is to ensure the club is sufficiently well funded to the end of this season.”