By Brian Bennett
A familiar face re-joined the board of directors at Ashington Football Club last week.
Brian Shotton – who as chairman steered the Colliers out of a dark period in the club’s history to a highly successful time during his six years at the helm – admitted that he stepped down due to exhaustion and other priorities but returns recharged, refreshed and revitalised for a ‘different type of challenge.’
A lifelong supporter of the club, Brian said at the weekend: “I’ve returned to what is the football board. I was still a director of the company that operates the ground and the bar, so I’d never fully stepped away from the club. I just moved back from the football side a couple of years ago. It felt like the right time. I’d worked very closely with Ian Skinner during his spell as manager, and as he moved on, new board members were coming in. I thought it was only fair to give them the space to settle in and bring their own ideas and direction to the club.”
He continued: “At that point, others were stepping in to take on some of the responsibility, which I felt was the right move. My day job at Hirst Welfare was also at a key stage of change, requiring my full focus at an important time. But with recent events and the club entering another period of change, I met with the board last week and agreed to return to offer some support. I feel refreshed and ready to contribute again. Running a Football Club is very demanding. From the outside, it can look straightforward, but the reality is very different. You’re balancing work, family life and football in what is already a busy world. My main priority will always be my day job and family life, with the football club alongside that.”
He added: “With Marc (Ellison) and Karl (Ross), I think we have got a good interim management team. We certainly have some good players who have a mix of experience and youth. I am confident results will come. We undoubtedly want to remain in the Northern Premier League. There was some discussion at the fans’ forum about whether dropping into the Northern League below might suit us better overall as a club, but I don’t share that view. It might reduce costs, yes. But I know the club’s mindset. We all want to test ourselves at the highest level we can. That’s where the challenge is, and that’s where we believe we belong. A lot of work went into getting this club into the Northern Premier League, and I’m not prepared to simply accept giving that up. I know others feel the same.”
Brian, 42, said: “My grandad was a lifelong Ashington supporter. He used to stand at Portland Park in the 1950s watching us play the likes of Peterborough and Wigan Athletic, and he took me along as a youngster to see teams managed by Keith Grant, Cec Irwin and John Connolly. I’m a Sunderland supporter through my dad, but Ashington is different. I bleed black and white for this club. I’ll always do what I can to help, and I hope I can bring some of the drive we had during my previous spell, when we enjoyed success on the pitch after the pandemic. Looking ahead, we need to be more community-focused, build stronger local links and be smarter commercially. We don’t currently run a junior section of our own, largely because of falling numbers, the challenge of attracting volunteers and the fact that we only have a grass pitch, which limits how much the facility can be used and does not lend itself to being as inclusive as we would like to have been as a club. That makes it even more important to work closely with junior clubs in the area and
ensure Ashington is seen as the natural next step into senior football. The landscape is tougher than it once was, both financially and structurally, but the objective is clear – connect with the community and compete at the highest level we can.”
He went on: “I’ve always seen myself as someone who gets on with things. I’m not one for just talking; I prefer to put things into action. People will always have views on how things are done, but the reality is that they are done in the best interests of Ashington Football Club. I genuinely believe everyone at this football club is giving what they can within the circumstances we’re working in. If anyone feels they can offer time, skills or support, I’d encourage them to step forward. Help is needed, and it’s always welcome.”
He concluded: “But all said I’m very pleased to be back. It’s a different challenge from last time, and I’m ready to play my part.”