PETERSFIELD Town Football Club has been saved by 'the cavalry' after it teetered on the brink of extinction through lack of volunteers. At an extraordinary general meeting last Friday, chaired by town mayor Paul Molloy – the town council's representative on the football club's committee – it was explained that the club could no longer continue with just the two current volunteers. Mr Molloy added that the constitution required the club to have a management committee of 12 members, with four elected officers. It had survived this far only on the extraordinary efforts by the two men who had held down most of the positions in recent years – Dave Ayre and Mark Nicoll. He praised their stoicism and dedication but called upon people present at the meeting to nominate 12 members of a new committee to take the club forward. In addition to the management committee, the floor elected Petersfield Town Juniors chairman Ian Essai into the same role for the senior club, with Graeme Moir as his vice-chairman. Mr Ayre and Mr Nicoll were unanimously returned as treasurer and secretary. Mr Molloy added: "I would like to pay tribute to Dave Ayre and Mark Nicoll for all they have done over the years to keep the club afloat. This could not have been an easy task and for most of the time it has been down to the two of them. "Between them they have carried out all the functions associated with running a busy football club – from chairman to groundsman to chief bottle washer. I would like them to know that by keeping this club alive their endeavours have not been in vain, and the club is now poised to build on their past dedication. "Not wishing to be overly dramatic, but nevertheless wanting everyone to know that – in my personal view – the cavalry has arrived. And it has arrived in the form of this newly-elected committee with all the energy, management skills, practical skills and enthusiasm they will bring with them. "I am delighted Dave and Mark remain important figures in the club and I wish this new committee every fortune in taking the club forward to heights never before achieved – and I look forward very much to sharing in that success." The club's new chairman, Ian Essai, said: "I understand this is not the first 'new dawn' this club has been promised. But unlike previous individuals we are not promising to bring in the likes of Diego Maradona; merely to help stabilise the club, help move it forward, and make it once again a community club of which the whole town can be proud. "The work undertaken over the past couple of years by Mark Nicoll and Dave Ayre has been astounding. But now we are in a position to remove some of their burden because we have many volunteers willing to undertake some of the tasks they may have found onerous in the past. "We also bring new skill sets to the table which will be invaluable, I'm sure, in times ahead. "We do not come brandishing cheque books – none of us is a Roman Abramovich. All we offer is dedication to the cause. But we will be going out there into the community to recruit commercial sponsorship and support and also to encourage the community at large to support the team." To the delight of the new management committee, all of those present at the meeting signed up as members of the club on the night – and membership is also available to everybody within the town and the surrounding area for £10 (family) or £5 (individual). Companies or individuals interested in sponsorship opportunities or memberships should contact chairman Ian Essai on 07900 995231.
