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Starting over

13/ 2/2008

NEW Mossley chairman Steve Astley is looking to take the club forward after it almost ceased to be.

Mr Astley, whose J Mills Funeral company is the Lilywhites’ major sponsor, has stepped into the breach to safeguard the club’s future.

He explained: "I used to have a couple of advertising boards, but when the club got into a lot of financial difficulties, I was asked to come back as main sponsor last summer.

"I didn’t want to get further involved but if I hadn’t have come in and bankrolled them, 105 years of heritage would have gone."

Mr Astley was invited to take the chairman’s role on behalf of the club’s four directors who are still responsible for the running of the club.

Having admitted he is a relative novice when it comes to the day-to-day operations, Mr Astley will receive guidance from those at in the know at Seel Park.

He said: "We’re positive we can pull the club together and start getting it back to its’ former glories.

"I can’t set a timescale on that though because I don’t know enough about it, but there’s a lot of other people who give their time freely and who will be guiding me to some degree.

"Ideally, I’d like to see us back in the UniBond Premier League in the next two or three seasons. Whether that comes to fruition or not, I don’t know, because it’s all down to the team and manager who have been very good at putting up with a lot of the problems that have been going on here of late."

THE club is offering free admission to children attending Saturday’s home game with Bridlington Town, provided they are accompanied by an adult.

Ladies who go to Seel Park will also receive a free Valentine’s gift courtesy of the Lilywhites.