Burnley FC appoint joint chairmen

And Mike Garlick and John Banaszkiewicz are eager to build on Kilby’s remarkable 13-and-a-half year reign, which was celebrated at a special dinner at Turf Moor on Friday night.

The duo, both existing members of the board of directors, take over with immediate effect, after Kilby resigned his post following the recent announcement of a personal battle with cancer.

And Garlick and Banaszkiewicz are aiming to make communication and transparency with supporters key points as they look to move forward.

Both, like Kilby, are Burnley fans.

Garlick was born in the town and is a former Burnley Grammar School pupil.

He joined the board in October 2006, and is the managing director of MBA Ltd, a highly successful London-based IT consultancy.

MBA, which employs more than 800 staff in eight offices in six countries across Europe, has an annual turnover of around £65million.

Nelson-born Banaszkiewicz is the newest member of the board, having joined in November 2010, and is managing director of Freight Investor Services Ltd (FIS).

FIS is one of the leading brokerages of freight and commodity derivatives markets, with branches and trading associates in the United States, China, Japan and Singapore.

Garlick said: “On this occasion, I believe that one plus one equals three. There is a greater synergy through two people combining their resources in terms of brainpower, knowledge and financial support.

“We aim to make the club stronger and give us a better chance of success in the future.

“Ultimately, we want to win trophies and drive the club forward.

“We also want to carry on the spirit of openness with the supporters that was embraced by Barry Kilby, and keep the lines of communication open.”

Banaszkiewicz added: “I am honoured to have been elected as co-chairman of Burnley Football Club.

“I am committed to working with Mike to continue the progress the board has made and bring success to the club in future.

“We are one of the league’s oldest clubs and I believe together we can strike a balance between supporting our local community and building Burnley FC as a global brand.”

The Burnley board of directors remains unchanged at five members, with Brendan Flood and Clive Holt retaining their current shareholdings, along with Kilby.

Meanwhile, young professional Cameron Howieson earned a second senior cap for New Zealand on Saturday.

The 17-year-old, Burnley’s youngest full international, came on as a substitute against Honduras after 64 minutes against Honduras in the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas as the All Whites won 1-0.

Howieson will hope he has done enough to impress and stay with the squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifying games in the Solomon Islands as they face Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in Oceania Group Two between Saturday and Wednesday.

And following those games, Howieson is also vying for selection for the New Zealand squad for the Olympics in London.