DARK DAYS AT FORTHBANK
Albion directors resign
Stirling Albion’s months of turmoil continued this week with the resignation of two executive board directors in two days.
The Forthbank club announced on Tuesday that David McFarlane was stepping down after eight years at the club. And a day later the Albion website posted the news that commercial director John Hunter had tendered his resignation with immediate effect.
The executive board is responsible for day-to-day decision making at the fan-owned club and the resignations leave the club with only two formally appointed directors: chairman and operations director Stuart Brown and finance director Alan Christie.
The moves follow a period of strife within the fan-owned club, largely brought about by disagreements between supporters over the takeover bid from the John Neill/Colin Rowley consortium.
Yesterday (Thursday) chairman Stuart Brown sought to reassure supporters about the future and said the remaining directors were “on top of all current business”.
Albion say Mr McFarlane indicated a year ago that he intended to step down.
In a statement, he said it had been a privilege to have served on the Binos’ board and he would remain actively involved in the club’s commercial activities.
Mr Hunter, boss of Hunters Executive Coaches, Clackmannan, was part of a group who submitted an alternative offer to the one tabled by the Neill/ Rowley group. In a letter to the trust board Mr Hunter said a group of supporters would be willing to make available “no strings” loans of up to £200,000. It is not clear whether this offer remains available.
Mr Brown said: “We thank David for his unrivalled work ethic and the genuine warmth of his friendship to anyone who shares his passion for our club. We would like to thank John for his valued contribution to the club during his time as commercial director, which included a considerable uplift in commercial revenue, hospitality numbers and, of course, his generous provision of executive coach transport to our away matches.”
Mr Brown acknowledged the resignations would be a source of concern for Binos fans but added: “I would wish to provide reassurance that, with the full support of the trust board, I and the remaining club board members are on top of all current business and have begun the process of addressing the challenges posed by the loss of two serving directors.
“We will not be seeking to make any external directorship appointments to the club board.
“We will announce shortly the internal appointment of an interim director, which is simply to ensure that we can conduct business should anything untoward happen to one or other of the remaining directors.
“I would also wish to reaffirm that, whilst the club board has the responsibility for decision-making in respect of the running of the club, we will continue to do so with the support of and in full and proper consultation with our colleagues on the trust board.”
In the short term we will not be seeking to make any external directorship appointments