My name is Bill Maynard and I am a retired sheep farmer living in Witheridge, Mid Devon. I am a close friend of Laurie Noble.
I have always been interested in sport, particularly football, but never previously had the time or opportunity to get involved.
I have made a number of visits to the Portway Stadium and have been very impressed with the facilities available and with the very professional quality we have in the Boardroom.
When the new Board took over in July 2003, the club was close to going out of existence. I felt that I could not stand by and let this happen and together with a great deal of hard work led by our Chairman and his wife, Alan and Jenny Mussell, we have managed to arrest the situation to such an extent that today, all debts are covered and Andover F.C. is able to look forward to planning a very exciting future.
We have a 5-year business plan with the focal point being that, in time, we would like to develop the ground in conjunction with Test Valley Borough Council in addition to having a very successful squad of players. Today, all clubs need help from their local businesses and individuals and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for your interest and help and I sincerely hope that we can repay some of this by providing real entertainment, excitement and playing success.
Please continue to support our teams by coming through our turnstiles on match days. Thank you all very much
January 2004
I am delighted to have the opportunity to return for a second term as Chairman of Andover Football Club, requested by our President, Mr. Bill Maynard, which was willingly accepted.
I was born in Andover in 1944 and have lived in Andover all of my life. I began my support of Andover Football Club in the 1956/57 season and, this year, will amass fifty years of recording the clubs achievement’s in hand written manuals.
I have spent many hours in the Andover Advertiser archives collecting more information from 1883 to 1956, which now completes a full 122-year history of the club.
I am now retired from Test Valley Borough Council where I worked in the leisure department. During the 1960s I was Grounds man at the old Andover Football Club ground at the Walled Meadow and the London Road Sports Ground.
The Board of Directors has a high level of commitment to the club and shares an objective to provide a top class Football Team that will bring entertainment, excitement and playing success for our supporters.
January 2006
Laurie Noble - Company Secretary
I was born in Torquay during the war years, moved back here in 1987 having been educated at Andover Grammar School, and am very happy with life in Babbacombe.
I retired from the Financial Services industry in 2000 having gained my MLIA{dip} and Ceemap qualifications and have since been working on the desk in the Torquay/Paignton Tourist Information offices, where I receive regular visits from Andover folk
My late grandfather, Mr.F.E.Noble, who lived at 91 Salisbury Road in the town, founded the Andover Junior League in 1902 and served on the Hants FA, including the Disciplinary Committee for over 50 years.
In addition, he chaired the North Hants FA, was President of the Andover and District Junior League and regularly handed out the trophies and medals at the Walled Meadow.
One of the reasons I returned to Devon was to assist my ex- Andover mate Peter Vear by acting as football/cricket coach to his school team (Warberry C of E primary)
We retired five years ago having won all of the Torbay Primary Schools trophies on a record number of occasions, twice reaching the South and West Regional Soccer Finals only to be knocked out by the eventual national champions on each occasion. This meant that we were twice Devon County Champions and added the Devon runners up spot in the hard ball Cricket game.
I also served with Exmouth Town at the time they reached the Vase Semi Final in 1985/6. When AFC was in financial difficulty in 2003, I was able to persuade my friend and business investor Bill Maynard, to underwrite the debt and gradually put the club back on its feet.
The Board of Directors, two more of whom I introduced to the club, have since put an enormous amount of time, effort and money to steer the club to calmer waters. We are working with a 5 year business plan devised by Peter Vear and are making steady progress whilst remaining competitive on the playing field. I know what is required to make this club successful both commercially and in the footballing sense.
Currently, I do not hold an executive position on the Board, preferring to help and assist the Chairman wherever and whenever I can. I am proud to hold a seat on the Board of this famous old club and will do all that I can to push AFC Ltd forward to become a real force on and off the field.
Living in Devon, I am unable to get to the Portway very often but travel by train at my own expense to attend Board Meetings and the occasional match. I am able to listen to the non-league reports on Radio Solent at 6pm on Saturday evenings and receive personal reports on match days from several sources enabling me to know precisely what is required to bring real success to the club.
Away from the sporting field, I founded the Harmoniums Group in 1973 (now the Harmonium Singers Chamber Choir) whom I conducted and ran for 7 years although time does not allow much musical activity these days. Watch this space-I mean business and the fire still burns!
June 2005
Graham Knight - Director of Football
Graham played for Fairholme Utd which amalgamated with Bedfont Rangers in 1968 and played in the Middlesex League for two seasons before moving to Andover in 1971
He started in senior management in 1983 with Sunday team Wherwell. He also managed Andover Reserves for three years winning the Hampshire Combination League and Andover Open Cup in season 1987/88. Graham moved to Whitchurch United as Joint Manager, won Hampshire League Division Two and earned them promotion from Hampshire League Division One to the Wessex League in 1991/92.
He managed Broughton FC for a season before moving back to Whitchurch United in 1996 as Assistant Manager winning the Hungerford Cup twice. In 2002/3, Graham moved to Andover New Street in the Hampshire Premier League as Assistant Manager. That year, they finished 6th in the league and runners-up in the Trophyman Cup.
In 2003/4 they finished as runners-up in the league and North Hants Senior Cup and won the Trophyman Cup.
Graham joined Andover in 2004/5 to manage the Reserves and finished runners-up in the Combination East and Andover Open Cup.
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