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Change in Chairman at Willand Rovers.

After 25 years at the helm Mike “Mitch” Mitchell has decided to step down as Chairman of Willand Rovers Football Club.

Mitch took the role of Chairman in 1996 when we were playing in the Devon League on an open-sided orchard field where we had to regularly move livestock off the pitch to play! In those days any talk of “pyramids” meant something in Egypt and a “big match” for Rovers was against Cullompton Rangers or Newton St Cyres

The club has evolved and developed significantly in those 25 years, as we slowly moved through the leagues, eventually winning promotion to the Western League Division 1 and thenon to the Western Premier Division. Our most recent success was in 2019 when we won promotion to the Southern Football League: who will forget the final day of the season post-match celebrations after we pipped Plymouth Parkway to the Championship by a single point and the tears of pride and joy streaming down Mitch’s face. 

These promotions were won off the back of sound behind-the-scenes management and prudent financial dealings which were all masterminded by Mitch. 

Off the field, Mike has instigated a number of major infrastructure developments to improve the facilities we have at our stadium to what they are today: these projects include the redevelopment of the club house, erection of purpose-built changing rooms, erection of two seated grandstands and areas of covered terrace, the improvement in the pitch perimeter and the improvement of the playing surface.  All these developments have been driven forward by Mike to the point that we now have a stadium which is the envy of all that visit us. 

Our steady progress through the leagues and the ground upgrade works undertaken would not have been achieved without Mitch guiding us forward in a calm and professional manner. 

Mitch has selflessly dedicated many hours of his free time into managing and improving the club, so for that Willand Rovers will be eternally grateful: thank you Mike. 

Mitch is certainly one of the most well-respected and gentle men of West Country football: wherever you go people from within the game talk fondly of him and always ask after him.

We wish him well, although he will still be very muchinvolved in the running of Willand Rovers, as he is stepping down to take on the role of ‘Vice Chairman’: this will mean that the club will continue to benefit from his vast experienceand knowledge.

In acknowledgement of Mike’s dedication and long service to the club Willand Rovers has made Mitch and his wife Jenny ‘Honorary Life Members’ and presented them with a gift of a short break away.

We would like to announce that at our recent Annual General Meeting the current Vice Chairman Mike Hawkins was elected to take on the role of Chairman: we now look forward to moving to the next era of success with another ‘Mike’ at the helm.