MINEHEAD Association Football Club's new chairman Robbie Hopkins has wasted no time in filling vacant positions within the club’s set-up, writes Barry Knott.

Hopkins, who took up his new post on Monday of last week, has installed Steve Jackson as the director of sport, having been involved in the club's youth set-up for more than ten years.

Becky Ely becomes finance director and Carly Boney is the club's new welfare officer.

There are other positions to be filled in the next few weeks and Hopkins would like to hear from anyone who feels they would like to join the club in some role. He can be contacted on 07790 308645.

Hopkins, who is 52 and has taken over from Mark Vickers, is a former utility player, having turned out for Minehead, Watchet Town, Dulverton Town and Porlock before injury forced him to quit in his mid-thirties.

He said yesterday: "Our aim is to develop a clear pathway for all youth players. Eventually they would be looking to play for one of the senior teams.

"In the last couple of seasons, we have finished low down in the first division of the county league. My first intention is to establish a more stable position in the division.

"We want to field sides with local players, although we would not turn away any players from outside who wanted to join the club.

"I would like to see more supporters getting involved with the club; not just on the playing side but off the field as well."

Hopkins added that Craig Carr would continue to run the first team for the rest of the season. "I don't know what Craig's intentions are - it's something I will talk to him about at the end of the season.

"I have no plan to see the club's first team playing at a higher level at the moment. The aim is for Minehead to bring on their youngsters.

"And there are certainly no plans for Minehead to go down the road of paying players."

Hopkins has taken over at a time when Minehead's first team are in the lower reaches of Division One in the county league, but are not in danger of being relegated.

"The days of playing in the Southern League are long gone," added Hopkins. "The playing set-up now is all about local players, and bringing on the youngsters."

The decision to appoint Hopkins as chairman was announced by Mark Vickers at the beginning of this month. He said: "I know that Robbie's appointment is a popular one and I know members wil gtet hehind him in taking this great and historical club forward. Robbie has terrific credentials. He first played for Minehead at the age of 16 and soon progressed to the first.