NELSON Football Club has been rocked by the departure of chairman Ken Broom.

Broom has been at the helm of the North West Counties League club for almost three years but has called it a day because of "a lack of help and support" in running the club. Ill-health has also contributed to his departure but Broom would have carried on had the back-up been there.

"It is difficult to keep up the pace of things without helpers off the field," said Broom.

"I have had four of five helpers for which I am very grateful but I am disappointed that requests for more help have not had a response.

"It has got to the stage where 90 per cent of the work is falling on my shoulders. Because of my health I could no longer guarantee being able to do that."

He added: "Due to a lack of support I feel I can't carry on. If reliable help had been there then I would have carried on.

"I feel extremely sad because an awful lot has been achieved in three years. I have done what I set out in a five-year plan."

Broom said the business side of the club is now on the right footing and, with ground improvements and floodlighting being introduced at Victoria Park last summer, he believes the set-up is one of the best in the north-west.

Under manager Ian Britton, Nelson won the NWCFL Second Division Trophy during Broom's reign to end a long wait for silverware.

Broom, who will stay on until March 31 to ensure a smooth handover, intends to continue watching the team but will stay on the sidelines.

"I am a person that always leads from the front and would never expect anybody to do anything I wouldn't do but it's difficult if the people you are leading don't want to keep up," he added. "They will have to find somebody else now. I hope that the people at the football club and the town get behind that person and I hope they get more help than I did."

Vice-chairman Albert Barnes, who will take charge on a temporary basis, said that Broom's announcement at a board meeting had taken everyone by surprise.

He said: "We knew that Ken had not been in the best of health for some time but this has been a real body blow to us all.

"We had long and detailed talks with Ken and following that discussion we are now fully aware of his position and his reasons for taking the decision he has."

Commenting on rumours that have been circulating regarding boardroom rifts, Barnes said: "Nothing could be further from the truth.

"In fact I can only remember one occasion on which voices have been raised and that was quickly resolved.

"I think that is something of an achievement in itself bearing in mind the huge amount of changes that had to be implemented over the past three years."

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