Chairman to vacate post at Rangers

Stafford Rangers chairman Mike Hughes today revealed he will step down from his role at the end of the month but will be staying at the club.

The 65-year-old will retain his seat as a director and will be replaced by either Rod Woodward or Reg Bates, both fellow board members.

Roly Tonge and Cliff Went - who is still in hospital with a strangulated hernia - comprise the rest of the board at Marston Road.

Hughes steps down after two years as chairman but has worked for the club in various guises for the last 28 years.

Robbie Mullin replaced him as secretary last summer, when Hughes first announced his plans to vacate the chairman's position.

He said: "I have made it clear for the last 12 months that I want someone else to take over as chairman and I am pretty sure that will happen now.

"I expect it to happen at the end of football's financial year, which is at the end of this month, when I will be stepping down from my tenure.

"Another member of the board will then be appointed to the post."

Hughes' reign has been testing, particularly in the first year when he was filling two positions during a Blue Square North relegation season.

Three managers have come and gone during that time in Chris Brindley, Tim Flowers and Matt Elliott, before Greg Clowes arrived last summer.

Rangers found themselves in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League for the first time since 1996 and finished 16th in the just-gone season.

It was a pretty uneventful campaign for the team but, off the field, there has been dramatic change as a drive continues to cut costs.

Hughes revealed last week they are on course to break even, scaled back over four years from a six-figure deficit in 2008.

It was part of his job to cut the size of that black hole and he insists he will continue to have an input in the club's future.

He said: "I am never going to be retired from the club as a clean cut break, I will always have ties with it but I am gradually stepping back.

"I will still be a director of the club and I have loved all of my time working at Stafford Rangers, whether it's been stressful or not!

"It's been a good time and I shall continue to enjoy it."