Supporters representative steps down from Bury board
12:00pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in Bury FC By Craig Nelson
BURY Football Club are in the midst of a board reshuffle after Margaret Ladkin – representative of fans’ group Forever Bury – stepped down as a director, due to ill health.
Jim Lomas – who helps with the club’s accounts and is a long time Forever Bury member – was voted on to the board at Bury’s recent annual meeting.
He was not appointed as a direct replacement for Ladkin, but was needed to form a quorum of four directors following her decision to step down.
The board also includes chairman Brian Fenton, Jeremy Rothwell and David Manchester, who replaced Mark Catlin as commercial director when he stepped down at the start of the season.
“The Forever Bury board would like to thank Margaret for all the hard work she has done,” said Forever Bury chairman Dave Giffard.
“She has performed her duties as a link between the club and Supporters Trust with distinction and we are all grateful for her efforts.”
Forever Bury have set a deadline of Friday, March 22, for applications to be their new representative on the board.
They are only accepting applications from people who have sat on the Forever Bury board for 12 months or more, but that can be at any point in the past and is not restricted to current members.
Giffard added: “There is no denying that it (Forever Bury board representative) is a very difficult role, but it is also very important to the future of the club.
“The Forever Bury representative has to sit on the fence in a way, juggling their responsibilities as a director of the club and a Forever Bury spokesman.
“The most important aspect of the role is to ensure a clear line of communication between the club’s board and the fans, through Forever Bury.
“There’s no doubt that this has tailed off since Margaret stepped down, and, while Brian has remained happy to talk with us, it is crucial that this line of communication is restored.”
Giffard said Fenton has been approached to take part in a fans’ forum, and a date should soon be announced, when he will respond to supporters’ concerns over the club’s finances.
The Football League recently imposed a transfer embargo on Bury for the second time in three months after the club was forced to go to the PFA for a loan to cover the players’ wages.
The Forever Bury chairman said figures mentioned at the recent annual meeting suggested Bury had a £400,000 hole in its budget for the current season.
He said he believed that the recent PFA loan had ensured wages would be covered until the end of the current League One campaign, although the club has not confirmed whether that is the case.
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