New Chairman Settles in at Westbury

Pitching In Southern League Division One South newcomers Westbury United have appointed Sam Gooding as their new chairman, replacing Greg Coulson, who surprisingly resigned last week.

Gooding is a former Westbury player and manager and was immediately targeted by the club to fill the role given his knowledge and reputation within local football.

Gooding told his club’s website: “It has all happened really quickly. I had a number of phone calls and messages from people at the club last weekend and we then had a four-hour meeting on Monday night to explore all the options and work required.

“Greg has done a fantastic job in progressing the club to where it is now, and I wish him all the best with his break from the game and everyone at the club fully understands his reasons for needing to step down at this time.

“From my perspective, I was immediately struck by how passionate the people already at the club are in maintaining the momentum from the previous seasons and it is now about bringing them all together to ensure we start the season on the front foot and the club is in the strongest position possible.

“The Southern League is a huge step for the club and we have to approach it with a professional and business mindset to make sure we can provide the best outcome for joint managers Ricky Hulbert and Lewis Porter. They have performed a fantastic job to date and have the full support of myself and everyone else at the club.

“I am keen as chairman to embrace the community within the town and bring more people to the football club whilst at the same time bringing the football club to more people in the town. We had a wonderful charity event at the club on Saturday organised by Westbury Youth raising money for Wiltshire Mind and to see the local turnout and all the youth players enjoying themselves makes you realise what can be achieved if we get things right as a club.

“I will be working hard behind the scenes to build or rebuild relationships with all supporters and sponsors in the town which will only benefit the club in the long run, the initial response this week to the appointment has been very flattering and hopefully shows the club are serious about improving all aspects of the club moving forward.

“In the immediate future, everyone at the club is pulling together and are focused on the ground improvements required by the end of next March 2023 and ensuring the whole club is in the best place to start the season come August”.

Westbury United Web Site