There is a lot of work that will be done on and off the pitch, admits newly-appointed Herne Bay chairman Stuart Fitchie

HERNE BAY’S newly-appointed chairman Stuart Fitchie says there’s a lot of work to be done at Winch’s Field.

The Bostik South East Division club appointed Mr Fitchie as their new chairman following a boardroom reshuffle last Friday.

Mr Fitchie, Martyn Sexton and Alan Birchard were elected to the board as new directors, with Mr Fitchie replacing Bill Dordoy as chairman.

Mr Sexton was appointed secretary and fixture secretary, replacing John Bathurst and Christine Dordoy.

Robert Taylor replaces Ron Boddy as treasurer, while Mr Bathurst remains as a director responsible for the youth section.

The new board appointed former Canterbury City trio Ben Smith, Tim Dixon and Ben Brown as their new management team as soon as they took over.

Mr Bathurst had appointed Nick Gearing as their new manager on 28 April but he lasted only 27 days, without taking a single training session or game.

Mr Fitchie did not explain the reasons behind axing Gearing and appointing the former Canterbury City trio.

“Firstly, we would like to say thank you for the warm and encouraging welcome we have received since being announced Friday evening,” Mr Fitchie told www.hernebayfootballclub.co.uk.

“We have been having many conversations and believe we can provide a new opinion and approach to the club.

“There is a lot of work to do, but we are all committed to hit the ground running and get the club moving in a positive and upwards direction.

“The fans were a huge factor in our decision to join the club. The loyalty and devotion proves how fantastic the fan base is and how much Herne Bay Football Club means to so many people. We want to involve the fans as much as we can as they are at the core of everything we want to achieve at the club.

“Appreciation needs to be given to Bill Dordoy and Ron Boddy for the time and efforts they have put into the club over the many years they have been at Herne Bay Football Club. Thank you.

“A thank you also to John Bathurst who has agreed to stay on and help with the clubs transition. Your league and club knowledge is vital for us to move forward.

“We will be very busy over the next few weeks completing the handover and talking to everyone we can in and around the club, listening to your views and ideas and answering any questions you may have.

“As mentioned above, there is a lot of work that will be done on and off the pitch so keep a look out for club updates through the Herne Bay FC official social media platforms.

“We have been speaking a lot with the new management team and are all excited for the season to begin.”

Herne Bay finished in the bottom six in the Bostik South East Division last season.

Visit Herne Bay’s website: www.hernebayfootballclub.co.uk