Kilby takes vice chair role at Turf

Kilby, who was chairman for 13 years between 1999-2012, before standing down for health reasons, has accepted the new role offered by current chairman Mr Mike Garlick.

The appointment was ratified at a Board meeting on Friday and Mr Kilby will take up the new role with immediate effect.

He said: “I’m proud of my continued involvement with this great club.

“I have had my health issues, which thankfully are now under control, so I feel I am ready now to step back into this new role and do whatever I can for the good of the club.

“Mike put the proposal to me to become Vice Chairman and I think we will dovetail nicely. I think it was an ideal fit, and we work well as a team.

“I suppose it is a little strange going from Chairman to Board member, to vice Chairman, but times move on and shareholdings change.

“However, this club is right next to my heart and I will do whatever needs doing in whatever the role demands of me.”

Mr Garlick, who took over sole chairmanship of the club in 2015, three years after becoming joint-Chairman, added: “Barry is a man well respected throughout the footballing world and the local community and he was the obvious choice in selecting a Vice Chairman.

“In his role here as Chairman for 13 years, he stabilised this club and provided a platform for us to take it forwards, so he also provides an able deputy and would be able to stand-in immediately, should I get run over by a double decker bus!

“But in all seriousness, I have worked with Barry now for nine years and in that time, I feel we understand and complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses very well.

“So we already have an excellent working relationship and this is more of an extension of that.”

He added: “It’s wonderful news that he is on the road to recovery following his well-documented health scare and I look forward to him continuing his active role in taking the club back to where we all want to be, in the Premier League.”