Matlock Town appoint lifelong fan Jay Beaumont as new club chairman

Beaumont’s position was confirmed at a meeting on Monday night.

Jay is a lifelong Matlock Town supporter who grew up in the town and has been involved in various aspects of the club for 20 years.

With the Gladiators having had their best season in the NPL for nearly 40 years, finishing fourth and making the play-offs, the aim is to keep the momentum from the 2021/22 campaign and try and go one better in 2022/23.

The new chairman is also keen to develop the community spirit which has been prevalent during Apperley’s reign. With attendances rising to a season average of 705 and lots of families attending Matlock matches, he sees this as a key factor in what he is aiming to achieve.

He said: “Matlock Town is a fantastic club which is run wholly by volunteers as a community-based club and always within its means, a model that I have always admired and firmly believe to be the only sustainable way to run the club.

“I want to take this even further, increase the representation of ladies and children within the club on the committees and around the ground, and being truly accessible to everyone in whatever capacity you wish to engage in.”

Beaumont also added that Matlock are not going to throw what he calls ‘silly money’ at trying to achieve the promotion dream.

He added: “There are ways we can do things without risking the future of the club and that’s by working hard to maximise our income streams and ensure that all who come to watch the Gladiators have value for money and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.”

Beaumont has people who he considers as close friends on hand to help support the work currently being done by existing members of the management committee.

He said: “As soon as Bryn informed me of his decision I confided in a few close friends and asked whether they would be up for joining me and before I knew it we had a boardroom full of us discussing our aligned vision for the club and how we could support the existing committee members in its further development.

“We intend to create a plan then work through it at the right pace."

Beaumont paid tribute to his previous incumbent Apperley knowing he has big shoes to fill.

He said: “Bryn did an excellent job as chairman and I’ll certainly be calling on him for advice and guidance as we move on.

"Bryn brought the football club into the Matlock community and obviously this is something I want to develop. We also need to be looking at making developments to our ground which will help maximise income streams and with the support of the existing committee and the people who have indicated their commitment to coming in alongside me, I’m sure we can continue to give Matlock a football club they can be proud of on and off the field.”

Beaumont is keen to hear from anyone wanting to be part of what he describes as an ‘exciting new chapter’ in the club’s history, adding: “Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, no matter how small your idea or perceived contribution may feel, this is a 100 per cent team effort.”

He can be contacted by e mail on [email protected] or by telephone on 07817 712063.