A statement from Paul Springett, who has just become a Director of Erith and Belvedere.  Paul made 144 appearances for the Deres from 2012 to 2016, winning the Kent League double in 2012-13, and had a spell as assistant manager before moving on to Sevenoaks Town.  His playing career spanned nearly 20 years.

 

 

 

It is a great privilege for me to introduce myself, Paul Springett, along with a small consortium, as new Directors of Erith & Belvedere FC.

 

James Lyons was announced as a new Director a couple of weeks ago and will continue to operate in this capacity.  James brings great leadership qualities and organisational skills which will be key as we work on planning for the future.  He has been instrumental in organising the transition for the new consortium so thank you to him. 

 

The new Board of Directors will focus on monitoring the company’s financial performance and status, implementing a clear strategy and working on putting together a clear operational model.

 

The hard work starts from the grass roots up to build a sustainable infrastructure.  This includes securing long term training facilities, ground/bar/dressing room refurbishment and this all requires significant investment and time.  So we would like to take this moment to say, please bear with us during these refurbishment works.  The club unfortunately has been left in disrepair so apologies in advance as we look to fix things during this transitional period.

 

We take over in a difficult position on and off the field: as we have seen with non-league clubs and more recently Football League clubs, investment on and off the field is important.  We will look to ensure that both areas improve as we build and plan for 2020-21 and beyond.

 

With the teams in place already, along with potential ones planned for next season, we will continue to create an environment for all players to have the option to play for Erith & Belvedere FC.  This is something we have been very keen on maintaining: making sure we have a clearly defined path from the youngest age to the highest level so that, should they choose to do so, all boys and girls can play for Erith & Belvedere FC from 5, 6 or 10 years old through to adult football and at the highest level we can achieve.

 

We very much look forward to the challenges ahead, working closely with the Managers, Committee and of course the players, supporters, parents and carers of this wonderful club.

 

We hope to do justice to the role and to continue the hard work and success that the McFadden family have brought to the Erith & Belvedere set-up over the past 26 years.  We wish them well for the future and they will always be welcome back at the club.

 

Thank you also to Mickey Cooper who has stepped down as a director but has been a great help in liaising of the running of the club, and to former club secretary Bill Hollins who can now enjoy his retirement.

 

Lastly I would like to say a huge thank you to current Chairman Brian Spurrell and club treasurer Mike Murtagh for bringing this opportunity to the table and working tirelessly through our extensive due diligence process.  Mike is a long serving director of the club and Brian, while a more recent addition to the board, is a supporter of over 30 years’ standing.

 

We hope to bring back the good days to the club, and look forward to a prosperous future and to welcoming you to our games.  Starting with the home fixture against Chatham Town on 25 February.

 

The hard work starts now.

 

Many Thanks

Paul Springett

Director, Erith and Belvedere FC