Since publishing my statement last weekend, a number of people have asked me to explain the thinking behind the restructure in more detail, as some seem to have spun it into a whole number of things that don't exist. As always, I'm happy to do that.

I took over as Chairman in June 2024, following a handover period that ran from December 2023. We're now into my third season at the helm, and the restructure is something I've wanted to do properly since the start.

Good governance means planning for the future before you need to, not after. That's what this is about.

What we've built

Wells City Football Club Ltd is now the parent company. It holds the lease and the assets, and will trade the bar. Under that we've set up two separate trading companies: Wells City FC Men Limited and Wells City FC Women Limited. The first teams operate through those. Everything else, youth, reserves, the A Team, remains unincorporated, running under the current club model as they always have.

This isn't complicated. It's just deliberate.

Why it protects the club

If someone wants to invest in the men's or women's first team, they can. But they only ever get the first team. The ground doesn't move. The lease doesn't move. The youth section doesn't move. Those things belong to Wells City Football Club Ltd and they stay there regardless of what happens to the trading companies beneath it. The parent company holds the assets, protects the club's future, and trades the bar.

If the men's first team has a difficult season, or a difficult year financially, that stays contained. It doesn't drag the whole club down with it. Same for the women's side. The structure creates a firewall that didn't exist before.

And if one day someone with real ambition wants to take the men's or women's first team to the next level, the door is open. They invest in or acquire that company. The rest of the club carries on.

One of the main reasons for this structure is to give members complete control over the club's future. This is the FA's recommended model, and it exists for a very good reason. It stops individuals taking over clubs against the wishes of the people who matter most. If you've ever seen the Wrexham documentary and watched the moment Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney had to put their takeover to a members vote, that's exactly how it would work at Wells. The members decide. Not one person, not one investor. The members. That is the opposite of the Manchester United model, where a family can buy and control a club with little regard for those who love it. This structure gives Wells City FC full control over its own future, setting us up for the next 100 years, long after the current stewardship has passed on.

Why I'm telling you this

Because I think people who give their time to this club, the coaches, the volunteers, the parents on the touchline every Saturday, deserve to know that the people running it are thinking beyond the next season. This structure protects the club's future whoever is running it, and for years to come.

What we're focused on

Would I love to get promoted this season? Of course. But my goals for this club have always been simple. Do what's best for the club, first and always. Sure, we all love winning. But building something for tomorrow, and for the next 100 years, is far more important.
And just look at how much we've already achieved off the pitch in a short time:
Girls football added to the club. New lease in progress. Car park being resurfaced this summer, tarmac booked for June and July. New floodlights coming. New changing rooms coming.

We've also added darts teams to our off field offering, giving more people a reason to be part of Wells City FC.

My immediate focus remains getting the lease over the line and the car park done. The floodlights and changing rooms will follow. We're building something that lasts.

On the pitch

We've every faith in the football side of the club. Muzz is pushing hard to get the first team promoted. Ryan is hoping to win the County with the reserves. George is working wonders with the ladies section. The youth teams are still in a number of cup competitions, some are pushing to win their leagues, and there are plenty of semi finals still to come. Good luck to all of them.

And some dates for your diary. The reserves County Cup final is at Paulton Rovers on 29 April. Well done Ryan and all the lads, you've done us proud just getting there. The U14s have also made it through to the County Cup final on 17 May at Brislington. Fantastic achievement. Hopefully there are more youth teams joining them in finals before the season is out.

Get down this Easter

Now the serious stuff is out of the way, we need you.

The maths are simple. Two wins from our last three games guarantees a playoff place, and we're hoping for a home draw. So I'd love to see a big crowd behind the lads when we host Cheddar FC this Good Friday, 3pm kick off at the Athletic Ground. We then host Radstock on Easter Monday, again 3pm at home. Two massive games, four days apart. Let's pack the ground out for both.

We're rolling out a special offer: any parent who brings a child or children in pays just £5. All youth players get in free. Come in your numbers, stay for a pie and a pint, and make some noise.

We'll have the same offer on Easter Monday when we host Radstock, again 3pm kick off.
This is a big week for the club. Let's make it one to remember.

Come on Wells.