The club are sad to announce that our Chair for the past four years – Neil Rynn, has decided it is time for him to step down from his role.

Neil is our longest serving manager of one team, as he started with his first Reds team 11 years ago when they were in our Academy. Neil and the team would readily acknowledge that they were the weakest team of their age group when they set up, and for the first few years of their time together, they would regularly struggle near the bottom with more losses than wins. However, Neil’s belief in his boys, their desire to improve, and some fine coaching along the way, the team kept together right the way through to the season just finished at U18. They finished the season in second place – a fantastic achievement for all of them.

Nine years ago, Neil was invited to join the club committee, I initially to run the communications and social media side of things. Soon however, it was noted he had a strong passion for “doing things the right way” and he was asked to become the Club Welfare Officer, a tough role which he took on with his regular positive approach. During this time, and obviously a glutton for punishment, Neil decided it was time to start a second Reds team! So, now he was manager of two teams, as well as the Club Welfare Officer! His wife Laura at this point could have been forgiven for wondering who he was if he was ever in the house.

Skip forward another 4 years, and Neil had passed on the running of the younger Reds, and in a time of serious instability within the club, he stepped up to take the reins as Club Chair. At the time, there were only three or four people in the committee, but over the next four years, Neil (in what he classes as his best achievement as Chair) found the right people amongst our volunteers, and built a very strong committee, taking it to 7 members, whilst managing to put round pegs in the appropriate holes.

He passes on the gavel to long-time club servant Dave Sargent, with the club in a solid state and a very bright outlook.

Neil isn’t disappearing completely from the club though – he has agreed to head up a sub-committee to plan our big 50^th Anniversary celebrations for next year, including our fun day which is scheduled for Sunday 3^rd May 2026 (much more info to come on that over the coming months).

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING NEIL!

From the committee, the volunteers, the players and families over the past 11 years.