Sandie Webb

SANDIE Webb has ruled herself out of the running for a return to the chairman's job at Chippenham Town after Derek Hooper quit for personal reasons.

Hooper had been at the helm for just four months after taking over from Webb in December, but will remain a member of the board.

When asked if she would return as chairman, Mrs Webb said: "No, I'd never do that again.

"Once you have done it I don't think you can quite go back.

"I gave up as chairman at the beginning of December because I felt I had gone as far as I could.

"I felt it was good for the club, we were fourth in the league and everything was there.

"I thought it needed someone else in there and that doesn't change.

"It would be a very bad thing for anyone who had done it before to do it again."

Mrs Webb said despite Hooper's shock departure, the board were in no rush to appoint a new chairman.

"Some clubs would need to appoint a chairman for an interim period but that would destabilise us if anything," she said.

"We're lucky we've got such a strong board that we wouldn't need to jump into the melting pot.

"Having said that, if there's anybody out there it would be wonderful to talk to them. Regardless of what happens at Chippenham the club has got total stability.

"The club isn't run by one person, it's run by a board of directors.

"Most football clubs for miles around would wish to have a stable board like that.

"When I came in as chairman there wasn't a chairman for 18 months before.

"The players still got paid and the club survived.

"There is no imperative. Between now and the end of July is the busiest time for the directors in getting the club ready for next year. We don't necessarily need a chairman for that.

"There's always a desire to have a chairman but the most important thing is to have the right person.

"At our level and at many levels you have got people who are called directors but they are workers and the fans sometimes don't understand that.

"We roll up our sleeves and work, that's just everyday life in non-league football."

With herself out of the running, Webb knows what sort of person she would like as chairman.

Webb said: "From everybody's point of view the ideal candidate would be someone who loves football, lives in the local area and is under 50."

"We need someone who we're going to be confident in and it would be really nice to have someone a little bit younger.

"It's not just about bringing in money, the chairman's job is about having a wider vision."

The club is due to discuss the vacant chairman's position in the next few weeks, although no date has been set for a meeting.

A club statement said: "Chippenham Town Football Club wishes to formally announce that Derek Hooper has decided to stand down as chairman of the football club for personal reasons.

However, Derek will remain a director of the club.

The board of directors would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Derek for the hard work and effort he has put into the club since his appointment in January and we are delighted that he will be staying on as a director.

The club will now operate without a chairman until a new candidate comes forward."

7:26am Sunday 11th May 2008

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