John Fenty To Rejoin GTFC Board?

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 24/06/2001

THE FISHY can report that John Fenty, a member of the previous board headed by Bill Carr, is considering an offer to join the current board of Grimsby Town Football Club. A reliable source has informed the Fishy that approaches have been made to Fenty and he is considering his position.

It is not clear if this move is a reaction to the proposed "takeover" bid of previous vice chairman Bryan Huxford or to help fill the two vacant positions brought about by the resignations of Huxford and chairman Doug Everitt last month.

If Fenty takes up the offer, it may signal the beginning of a new relationship between the previous and current boards of directors who have made no secret of their factional disagreements in the past.

".…I am not a Yes man or able to be brow beaten.…."

At the stormy AGM two years ago when Bill Carr and his board lost power and the Ramsden/Huxford group took control of the club, John Fenty claimed he could have stayed on the Grimsby Town board if he had 'behaved himself'. He said that offer had been conveyed to him during the meeting by 'Mr Huxford's messenger' who was in fact Mr Bill King, the Club's solicitor.

After seeing Bill Carr kicked off the board Mr Fenty was the next man up for election, or in his case re-election as a co-opted director. He told shareholders: "I am not a yes man or able to be browbeaten. I will always fight for what I think is right. I am my own man.''

He said he felt that it was not healthy to have control of the club in such few hands stating "Democracy will not prevail until that matter has been addressed, ''

".…At some time I hope I will be back.…."

When Bryan Huxford asked from the floor whether Mr Fenty could work with the new directors, He replied "Yes, but I say that with caution.''

After being voted off the board he said, "I would like to come back but not on the terms that have just been offered to me by a messenger from Mr Huxford telling me if I behave myself I could get co-opted on.

"At some time I hope I will be back,'' he said which brought the response from Bill Carr, "That was spoken from the heart. It is sad that it has reached this level.''

It appears now that those stormy days have been forgotten and if Mr. Fenty rejoins the board it may be the first step towards ending the acrimony that exists between the two factions.

Next Story:The Proposal to reduce the capacity of the new stadium from 20,100 to 14,000 has been seen by many to be a more practical proposition for Grimsby, and a lack of ambition by others. Full story Here

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