LESS than 48 hours after stepping down, the Bendigo City FC committee has been reinstated.
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Members of the National Premier League Victoria club overwhelmingly voted in favour of reinstating president Ben Pengelly and committee members Travis St Clair, Peter Anderson, Arj Perera and Melanie Shanahan at a special meeting on Tuesday night.
The committee had stepped down over the weekend after copping abuse from a group of members for its planned financial re-structure of the club, including making full-time technical director Fab Soncin’s role redundant in favour of a part-time position.
“The meeting was very productive and the members were given further information about the structure of the club going forward,’’ St Clair said after the meeting.
“There were apologies from members to the former committee... and the members overwhelmingly requested that the former committee be reinstated.
“The members understand that the financial plan put forward by the committee was in the best interest of the club and that it can work.
“The bottom line is as a result of the meeting the club showed it has not just the desire to survive in the NPL, but to be successful going forward.
“The most positive news was that we had a great response from members who are willing to volunteer to help the committee with the club in the future.”
More than 50 members attended the meeting at Epsom Huntly Recreation Reserve.
St Clair said the mood was in stark contrast to the meeting held last Friday night which led to the committee resigning over the weekend
“The pleasing thing was that, unlike Friday night, it was a positive meeting,’’ St Clair said.
“Everyone is on board with what the club is trying to achieve."
For the time being the focus can return to on-pitch matters, with Bendigo City FC’s senior squad to tackle Ballarat Red Devils at Epsom-Huntly Recreation Reserve on Saturday from 5pm.
Bendigo City FC’s junior squads are away to Ballarat on Saturday.
All eyes will be on the in-form under-16 team which sits in second place on the ladder with 14 wins from 19 games.