CHAIRMAN Paul Loader reckons people power can take Pershore Town “to the next level” despite the hasty nature of recent off-field changes.

Loader leads a new committee that is 12 strong after four of the previous six incumbents stood down last month.

The new Town chief has been a Pershore resident for the past five years and has spent 18 years in youth football. He is a level two coach with his son playing for the club’s under-15s.

He admits tackling the new role would have been “daunting” without the volume of people stepping forward to take control amid fears of Pershore becoming a rudderless ship.

“It was a call to arms,” said Loader.

“There was a need for a new committee and we decided as a group to pick up the gauntlet. If we hadn’t, what would have happened?

“Everyone working here does so voluntarily, nobody has taken a penny out of the club since we got involved on day one.

“Financially it is stable. It is not in a difficult position but we are trying to take that side of it to the next level and build from there.

“It is safe to say it has been an eye opener but there is nothing we didn’t expect. We have a fantastic committee, without them this would be a daunting challenge but with the help we have here it is a pleasure to be involved.

“We have a mix of people who have been involved with the club for a very long time, people who helped on the junior side.

“They come from different backgrounds. There is a mix of business people, football people and people who are passionate about Pershore Town and wanting to make it a success.

“Over an undefined period we want to help to develop the first team again while growing the youth structure behind it.”

Experienced former Malvern Town manager Les Jones has been entrusted with boosting Pershore’s ailing fortunes in the West Midlands (Regional) League in the short term but also with an eye on the future.

“We wanted someone with that senior experience to help drive the first team forward while allowing the youth structure to come through as well,” said Loader.

“That’s where Les comes in. He did exactly that with Malvern Town which was a key part in us appointing him and Derek (Doyle, assistant manager), their ethos is very much the same as that of the committee in the long term.”

Town had seemed destined to be cast away at the bottom with no playing budget, something which has been reinstated by the new regime.

“Les and Derek would always like a budget that is higher than it is today, any manger would,” said Loader.

“We have a budget in place and they are happy to work with that. As the team becomes more successful that will be reviewed going forward.

“It is very much about everyone, including the first-team players, buying into the fact we have some immediate challenges ahead but that we will be able to move forward in the future.

“Budgets will change and the whole structure will as well. We are looking to build with a view to the long term but the immediate aim is to stabilise where we are and move forward.”