News

Chairman Mark Evans announced the changes at the club's annual meeting at the Moat Ground last night (Wednesday) when he confirmed reserve team manager Alan Titterton would be promoted to first team coach.

As caretaker manager, Titterton guided the Moatmen through a seven-match period over Christmas following the sacking of Brian Kenning, though the Willington-based Gresley stalwart resumed his second-string duties following the appointment of John McGinlay and assistant Phil Barber.

But now Titterton, at McGinlay's request, will move up the ladder, with former reserve team assistant Gary Norton taking charge of the reserves.

"Alan will relinquish responsibility for the reserves and assist John McGinlay, while Gary Norton will run the reserves alongside an assistant coach," said Evans. "Alan's appointment was something John had spoken to me about almost as soon as he arrived. Andy Mason, from Redditch United, will also come to help John and the first team. Communication between the first, reserve and youth teams had been very poor but this new structure will reinforce our improved squad approach."

Youth, reserve and first team squads would now train side-by-side rather than in isolation said the chairman.

The personnel reshuffle follows the lifting of an FA embargo on signing contract players and the establishment of a junior section at the club, which from next season will run sides at under - 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15 levels at venues across South Derbyshire.

Said Evans: "I never knew how much those two words, Gresley and Rovers, meant to people in South Derbyshire but you should see the joy and pride of these young people when they pull on a club shirt. But we are in junior football not as a revenue grabbing exercise. We need to capitalise on our local talent and get those players into the first team, rather than allowing clubs to come and poach our talent. We are not in that kind of business any longer."

The revision of the coaching and management structure follows an improvement in finances at the once cash-strapped club which, in 1999, had been four days away from meeting the Inland Revenue in court after failing to make a PAYE contribution for 12 months.

Great strides towards stability have been made during the 14 months of Evans' stewardship and last night the chairman also confirmed a tie-up with telecommunications firm Mezenet Ltd. And produced a list of 68 firms which had become business partners or sponsors.

He also announced the striking of a new barrelage deal with Bass Brewers, a company that two years ago had been owed so much money by the club, a figure greatly in excess of £10,000, if the debt had been called in Rovers would have gone to the wall.

Said Evans: " Bass were one of our largest debtors as a result of the bad times when we incurred a significant debt which we have been paying off gradually. Bass Brewers has looked at our finances and the fact we have been paying regular instalments, sometimes more than the agreed figure, and the fact we're facing up to our responsibilities. We have a lot to thank Bass for because they did not withdraw their support when they could have done - had they done so it would have closed us down."

The meeting heard how the board had turned net losses of £12,264 in 1998 and £4,634 in 1999 into a net profit of £13,260 for the year ending May 31st 2000.

Operating expenses were down £36,865 on 1999 to £101,263 but that figure now represented 75% of a £134,369 turnover as opposed to 92% in 1999 and 95% in 1998.

But Evans was insistent the club had plenty of hard work yet to do.

He said: "When I arrived at the club we were in a hole and still digging but that situation was significantly more dire that it is today. But I must stress that £13,000 profit is not cash sitting in a bank account and Gresley Rovers still owes money. My last meeting with the bank manager lasted two hours and you go in there on the back foot. Having said that I look at the state we were in 1999 and take heart from the fact we're still here today. The work will go on and people can rest assured neither myself nor the board will never again let go the reins of financial control. We're living up to our financial responsibilities."