The last two weeks have been extremely challenging following my appointment as Chairman.
Firstly, I’d like to thank Neil Pinkerton for the work he has carried out over the last six years.
We started this journey together and achieved considerable success over that time with winning the National League North, and two trips to Wembley – with the last one coming away with the FA Trophy.
We have seen some excellent players come and go, not least of which in Greg Olley, whose contract was up and albeit late, an extension to that contract has not been able to be agreed.
He will be a big miss at the club, and I thank him for his service and wish him all the best for the future.
We press on though with preparations for next season, and we are in discussions with several players out of contract in the hope that we can retain their services.
We are also currently undergoing a review of all club processes and practices to confirm we can run as efficiently as possible to maximise what we can do on the pitch.
We also want to reiterate the intention of the board to meet regularly with Gateshead Soul representatives to build a closer relationship between fans and board members.
We also would like to thank all Soul members for their financial contributions, which have made up the other 15% of the shortfall that we operate on.
There is still a lot of work to go in order to get things ready for next season, but please rest assured that everything will be done to make us the best that we can be.
I also thank the board for the confidence they have shown in me as I embark on this new journey.
I fully understand the challenges that lie ahead, and with your support look forward to building on our successes of previous seasons.
