Pitchero Non League

Robb Forty

....club Shrivenham, chairman Robb Forty is leaving the Rec.

In a major shake-up that has seen five senior figures reveal their intention to depart, Forty's is perhaps the most important given the roles he has held and the period of time he has held them.

The 47-year-old initially came onto the committee for two years before taking up the role of vice-chairman for eight. He then took on the chairman's job, which he has held until the present day, but will relinquish following the club's presentation night at the Rec on May 12th.

Forty's final first-team game took place last night when Shrivenham journeyed to Shortwood United in the Hellenic Premier, and he told the Swindon Advertiser that he was exiting the club for several reasons. "You get to the stage where you think it might need freshening up," he said. "Over the last eighteen years the club has come on leaps and bounds, we're now a charter standard club and the next stage is to become a community club.

“We have a five-year plan to carry out and I don't think I'm going to be here another five years, so I don't want to start it without seeing it through. It was a natural cut-off point really. There's going to be times when I think, 'I'm glad I don't have to do that today', but there will also be times when I''m going to be kicking my heels. I've loved it - I've made so many good friends from it over the years and had the pleasure of working with the likes of Alan Dyton and John Fisher.

“I've got to see the club grow to where it is. There have been so many highlights - getting promoted to the Hellenic League and winning Division One, as well as getting to the last thirty-two of the FA Vase and the A team winning the Berks & Bucks County Cup."

Also leaving Shrivenham come the end of the campaign will be Forty's partner Anita and daughters Carla and Rachel, who are all on the board, while match secretary Emma Skilton will too call it a day.

John Fisher announced his intention to relinquish the manager's role last week and it is understood that Forty's exit played a role in that decision, alongside Fisher's concerns about the lack of a playing budget.

Forty has been invited onto the club's vice-presidents' board and will initially be involved in looking for his replacement, as well as a new manager.

The Shrivvy chief added: "I've got two vice-chairmen in Andy Timbrell and Neil Sutton who are capable of taking the job and I would be happy to shadow them, but it would be their baby.

“The club has been a massive part of my life for the past eighteen years so I'm quite happy to do what's best for the club."

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