Rangers to decide on new chairman

Stafford Rangers will name their new chairman after the club's directors have convened for a board meeting at Marston Road next week.

Mike Hughes will relinquish control and either Reg Bates or Rod Woodward will take charge, in what would be their first tenure in the role.

Hughes is stepping down some 14 months after voicing his intention to quit, spending two years in the job and over 28 years at the club.

The 65-year-old will retain his seat as a director with Roly Tonge and Cliff Went – in hospital with a strangulated hernia – also on the board.

His successor will be announced but has already been agreed in principle, Hughes has revealed.

He said: "There will be a board meeting next week sometime and I think it will be sorted out then.

"The person who takes over as chairman will want to make their own announcement at that time."

On the field, manager Greg Clowes and his assistant Dorian Garner are on holiday in Spain and will return to their jobs next week.

Rangers signed up a 22-man squad before they left and first-team coach Mick Hathaway will lead them into Saturday's friendly at home to Tamworth.

Defender Luke George was the last to put pen to paper on non-contract forms and Hughes believes the club have a sound base to work from.

He said: "At the latest count, I think we have signed 22 players and I don't think we have finished yet.

"The problem is keeping them all happy but we look very good on paper, it looks promising.

"We have only had one friendly but we already look a stronger squad than we did last year.

"As I see it, there doesn't seem to be any weaknesses in the squad and that bodes well for the club."