Plain John Smith is Lions' new man

1:46pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

AFTER what was billed as Andover FC's AGM turned out to be an EGM, former player John Smith was named as the new chairman in place of Graham Knight, who stepped down after a season at the helm.

The co-owner of Transplus takes over with the club looking to regroup after a dreadful season which saw them finish fourth from bottom of the Southern League Division One South and West. Smith, 40, is a well-known figure in the town and his Southampton Arms Sports side has just taken the Sunday League title to add to the Kelvin Cup and runners up in the Jimmy Monro Cup.

He has already outlined some plans to increase the usage and profile of the Portway Suite and is known to want the football club to reform a reserve side, although that will be dependant upon a suitable league being sourced, preferably one playing midweek.

Speaking to the Advertiser the day after the meeting, the new chairman said: "We must get more bodies into the Portway Suite as well as improving our gates. "There will be at least two Sunday sides and three Saturday sides based at the club next season and I want the youth team to be training alongside the first team."

He added: "We may also look at forming an academy side from the best young players in the area and entering it in the Hampshire Youth League. "Of course there is much work to do this summer and there should be details available after the AGM at the end of May."

With benefactor Anthony Galley severing his connections with the club, Smith will be looking to become a shareholder, although he added that the days of the club being bankrolled by one man have finished and "the club will have to stand on its own."

The curtain came down on the season with a simple 5-0 defeat of an exhausted Hillingdon Borough which, along with the win over plummeting Thatcham a fortnight earlier made the final table look marginally less frightening.

Hillingdon did not help their cause by conceding two needless penalties and they have played a lot of games of late but the Lions at time played some neat football and scoring five goals at this level can never be deemed easy. Brynley McKie and Owen Elias replaced the injured Phil Andrews and suspended Glen Damen while Steve May came in for the injured David Hook, though the latter was happily able to collect both Player of the Year and the Away Supporter's Player of the Year awards.

The home side were rewarded on the half hour when full-back Danny Bennell needlessly handled and Dean Stow fired the spot kick high into the net. May saved bravely at the feet of the ever dangerous Leon Nelson and Matt Davis in the visiting goal just about kept out a Turvey shot before penalty number two. McKie got away down the right and was virtually in the act of crossing the ball when Gavin Brown bought down the incoming Ben Buckland in the area.

With the leading goalscorer's prize still up for grabs Kyle Swayne claimed precedence and despatched the penalty.

Stow forced Davis into another fumbling save and when the ball fell to McKie on the edge of the area the winger netted his first goal for the club giving them a three goal lead at the break.

The substitution of Tas Roberts for Mike Turvey brought almost instant reward as the little winger cut inside, Davis could again only palm away the shot and Heath was quickest to react and turn the loose ball into the net.

Matt Davies then found Roberts again on the left, this time his namesake in the visiting goal palmed away the cross but straight to Stow who notched his second and the side's fifth ensuring his position as leading goalscorer.

Team: May, Martin, Davies, Elias, Buckland, McKie, Bobby Swayne, Stow, Turvey,Laidlaw, Kyle Swayne. Subs: Hook, Bye, Heath, Roberts, Randall.

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