Published: Wednesday, 25th January, 2012 9:30am

Athlone Town FC set to appoint full time CEO

ATHLONE Town FC are on the verge of appointing a full-time Chief Executive Officer, as the club look to introduce numerous off-field initiatives in order to assist the future running of the 125 year-old club.

Though Athlone Town is the oldest football club in Ireland currently playing at its highest possible level, the club - like the majority of Airtricity League outfits - has encountered several periods of financial difficulty over recent years.

However, the club is now looking to completely overhaul the manner in which the club is run, and central to this will be the appointment of a full-time CEO.

Applications for the position are currently being invited by the club (see bottom of article for further details), and the club hope to install a new CEO in early March.

The club has also revealed that they're in the early stages of planning the construction a new all-weather facility at its Lissywollen base (on the land currently occupied by the club's second grassed pitch).

The club also insist that the current committee structure - while manned by several extremely dedicated and loyal members - is somewhat out-dated, and they're looking to involve the public more in both the day to day running of the club, and in making the club a more community-based operation.

Club spokesperson, Damien Milton, also told the Westmeath Independent that such developments will not be funded by the person that recently paid-off all remaining debts on the Lissywollen stadium.

Mr Milton said: "Having moved to a new stadium in Lissywollen in 2007, the board of the club are determined to take the necessary steps to lead the club into a new era of financial stability, as well as success on the field of play. Further to this, the board are seeking to recruit an energetic and driven professional to take on the role of Chief Executive Officer. The CEO will be responsible for the day to day management of Athlone Town Football Club. The CEO will also work closely with the Board of Management to develop and implement a strategic business plan that will guide the future development of the football club."

Mr Milton said one of the CEO's first initiatives will be to set-up a co-operative ownership of the football club by supporters.

A high-profile example of such co-operative ownership is FC Barcelona, while certain English clubs have taken such steps in recent years, including the well-documented FC United of Manchester, which was formed in 2005 by a group of disenchanted Manchester Utd supporters opposed to American businessman Malcolm Glazer's controversial takeover of the Old Trafford club.

Mr Milton said the club is taking "a new approach", and is determined to reach out to the public of Athlone and its surrounding areas.

"The club recognises that, at present, Athlone Town FC is a 'club' only in name," he said.

"We need to get more people involved and open the stadium to the public on a far more regular basis. We need the club to be more interactive in the community, and on that note, we appeal to anyone with ideas, or proposals, on ways to better the club, to contact the club via e-mail, or to attend the Annual General Meeting on February 9 in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel.

"The new CEO will be integral in the club's bid to move forward, and will oversee these plans. We also want to create greater relationships with several other local bodies, including the Athlone & District Schoolboy League and Athlone IT, and be able to provide a clear pathway for the young people of Athlone to play for the club.

"The only way the club can move forward is by attracting new members, and by growing its current membership, and the co-operative issue is vital in that respect. These off-the-field initiatives can safeguard the future of the club," added Mr Milton.

Applications sought

Athlone Town FC are inviting applications for the full-time position of Chief Executive Officer at the Midlands club. The closing date for applications is Tuesday, February 15, after which an interview process will be carried out by a committee independent of the club. The club hopes the new CEO will be in a position to begin work in the opening weeks of March, to coincide with the beginning of the 2012 Airtricity League season.

For a full outline of the role and to put forward your candidacy, applicants are invited to send a CV to: athlonetownrecruitment@gmail.com