Chairman quits 'untenable' position
THE CHAIRMAN of Harborough Town has made the "heart-wrenching" decision to resign from the club and told the Mail yesterday (Wednesday) that he will probably "not set foot inside the club" again.
Mr Bale, who has been involved with the club for 15 years and chairman for the past five, sent letters to various organisations and club officials on Tuesdayapril 6 saying his position had "become untenable".
In a shortened version of the letter, sent to the Harborough Carnival committee, the district council and other committees on which Mr Bale sat, he said: "Unfortunately, as time moves on, changes are sometimes needed and positions can become compromised...so it is with great reluctance that I remove myself from the management of the club."
In a longer, five-page version of his resignation letter which has been sent to club officials, he expands: "It is a decision that no matter how hard, was the only option open to me in the circumstances, with my position becoming untenable and one that is likely to steer me away from volunteering in any capacity, for any organisation again in the future."
He later alluded to the club's "debt", saying: "Having moved from club to business, we need more business-minded leadership to assist in overcoming the current debts. These will be clarified at the AGM by the trustees."
In 2008 he the bid which helped the club gain a near-1million grant from the Football Foundation to fund major refurbishment work at the club's ground in Northampton Road.
Trustee Andy Winston has taken on an interim chairman's role ahead of the club's annual meeting on Tuesday, May 4. An emergency coaches' and managers' meeting has also been scheduled at the club for Monday night.
The Mail spoke to Mr Bale yesterday to see if he would clarify why his position had become untenable, and asked him if it had anything to do with his son Dan's recent temporary suspension from the Bowden's Park clubhouse. Mr Bale denied his son's ban had anything to do with his decision but declined to go into further detail.
He said he would not be attending the annual meeting and added: "It has been an extremely emotional time and I have shed many a tear but I have had no end of good wishes from people and it's at times like this that you realise there's support for you."
Over the years Mr Bale has been a team manager, committee member and assistant secretary as well as a goal post-painter, weed-clearer and pitch-marker among other roles.
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Weather for Harborough
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
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