Trust to Exert Greater Influence on Club Board

Recent months for Exeter City has been very interesting with a number of off field activities. Since the need for the Club to take out a loan from the PFA, a number of people in key positions have moved on: Club Secretary Roger Conway; Club Chairman Ed Chorlton; and CEO Guy Wolfenden.

Some of these events have been because of the initiative of the Supporters Trust Board and others as a consequence of the change in influence of the Trust Board. One key area to be tackled by the Trust Board is the make-up of the Club Board and the ability of the majority shareholder (the Supporters Trust) to exert influence. With two members of the Club Board having departed, there is an opportunity to change the structure.

A joint Club/Trust Board meeting took place on Wednesday night. The outcome of that meeting has been the subject of the following jointly agreed statement:-

Consensus has been reached around the new structure of the Club Board.

The Board membership will comprise half and half between Exeter City Supporters’ Trust and Exeter City Football Club.

A group of Trust and Club directors will now work to finalise the detail of the new structure.

Once the new-look Board is in place one of its first jobs will be to commence the process of appointing a Club Chairman.

The appointment of the Club Chairman is important. Many City fans will be hoping that that person will be an Exeter City supporter, with an empathy with the ordinary fan and indeed accessible. Their role will be important, and not least will be the question of what to do with the stalled stadium redevelopment.

The balance on the Board will enable the majority shareholder to bring about an influence that will help re-establish the Club as a supporter owned football club and an ethos appropriate to that status.