Welcome to Gloucester City AFC
PRESS RELEASE
From: Gloucester City Football Club
Date: 21 November 2007
TITLE:
Gloucester City Executive Committee has unanimously elected Dave Phillips in the job of Club Chairman. Mr Phillips has been holding the post of Acting Chairman since the recent departure of Chris Hill. Dave Phillips says:
“I feel honoured to have been given the opportunity of taking the Chair. The Executive Committee presently have an incredibly dedicated group of enthusiastic City football lovers, every one of whom is a privilege to work with, so I have accepted the challenge to help contribute towards a better today and tomorrow with them all. Running alongside that are some very generously spirited people that comprise the 'engine house' of the Supporters Trust, that make a constant difference to running of the Club as a whole, and not least all those fans that give so freely of time, effort and money towards giving the Club a chance of progressing further up the football pyramid. “
Daves first encounter with Gloucester City AFC began not long after the notable win against Yeovil Town over two legs in the Southern League Cup Final in 1956. A school friend enticed him to cycle up to the old Longlevens Ground the following season to witness a 2-1 win over Bedford Town, and he was hooked.
Through the years following he always managed to see a fair proportion of games, ever optimistic of seeing City break through and progress beyond the Southern League. Hopes were dashed on so many occasions as other long-standing Supporters will know. “Players came and went, Managers came and went, Club Officials came and went, but the poor old fans, of whom I included myself, always seemed to be the biggest sufferers long term” says Mr Phillips.
Dave first joined the Board in January 1998, making a significant contribution to the reducing of the clubs debts at the time, but disagreements over the running of the club saw Dave resign from the board. He then spent two years with the experimental Gloucester United side in the Hellenic League, before a five year spell at Slimbridge AFC as Club Secretary, which was filled with success, culminating with admission into the Southern League last summer (a place the club later opted not to take up).
Dave says; “once I left Slimbridge the phone started ringing and I did have a few options to consider, but I think it was Tim's persistence that I could make a contribution at City that swung things. Having always kept in touch with many of the clubs stalwarts during my 'exile' years, I knew that great strides were on-going in changing the infrastructure of the Club, and it was now unrecognisable from my previous time. It was a funny feeling on returning , with the August Bank Holiday visit to Bashley proving quietly emotional for me”
“In all the adversity of losing Meadow Park to flooding, we are so grateful to Forest Green Rovers for giving us a life-line, with no small thanks to Colin Gardner and his Board of Directors. It is not an easy life for any Club to ground-share and a priority is to move into a new home as soon as practicable, and rest assured that work is on-going to that end. “
Another priority for Dave Phillips is to see the club progress on the field: “whilst working tirelessly on the new ground, we must also try and keep progressing on the playing side, and I believe that recent performances are improving and confidence accordingly returning, despite the unusual number of injuries that have meant that Tim has not yet been able to field a settled side this season.
Looking back at his previous spell on the Board of the Club, Mr Phillips notices the differences this time around; “it is the Fans Club now, and I am keenly conscious of that being the difference between now and when I was previously on the Board, and will constantly talk to the fans as we all move forward together”.
In conclusion, Mr Phillips says; “I would make the same request of the supporters as I have of the executive Committee – that we all look primarily for the positives, and stay cheerful. Just as I have always thought of Gloucester City AFC as my home Club, I know it means so much to a lot of others as well, and together we all may make those dreams come true!
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