SIXTY shareholders turned out at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday for Weymouth FC’s annual general meeting – the first one since the departure of controversial ex-chairman George Rolls.

Nigel Biddlecombe, who bought the Terras off the Rolls family at the end of January, hosted the event and immediately reaffirmed his desire for the club to move into a new era of trust and transparency following several turbulent years.

On the subject of there being no minutes for the club’s previous AGM on December 20, 2011, Biddlecombe stated: “I think we all understand this is now a new era – an era where we are all focusing on trying to move the club forward.”

Shareholders then unanimously voted to retain Biddlecombe, Mark Coleman, Ralph Ricardo, Alan Pepp-erell, Steve Taylor and Tony Greaves on the club’s board with Shaun Hennessy also being added following a successful nomination.

Biddlecombe praised the ongoing work of all his colleagues and also explained the reasons behind Tony McDonnell’s decision to step down.

He added: “Tony has stood down due to private commitments but he is still going to provide help and assistance wherever possible.”

Next on the agenda was the subject of the club’s accounts for the two years ending May 31, 2011, which shows a profit of £17,639.37, but as Biddlecombe explained the figures may not be fully accurate due to the limited information available.

He said: “When I signed the paperwork with George and Amanda Rolls, and a solicitor in Cambridge, I was told financial records would be available for Weymouth FC.

“Some were but there were also others that were restricted.

“I tried to obtain details of the club’s bank accounts but initially they did not come in to my possession.

“After three or four months’ work we obtained the statements of the accounts and I can now confirm we do now have access to them.

“However, we have not been able to fully obtain all financial records over the last two years.

“The Football Association and the Dorset County Football Association have accepted the situation we are in and with the information available to us, we have tried to be as honest as we can but we cannot be 100 per cent.

“The FA and DCFA have confirmed they will accept the accounts and affiliate the club because they have accepted this is the best we can do.

Biddlecombe went on to add: “The current regime assure you everything is now being done properly and from May 2013 everything will be done right.

“The May 2012 accounts will also be done to the best of our ability but certain information may also be unavailable to us. Anything that now comes to light that was supposed to be in the May 2011 accounts will now be taken on board in the accounts as we move forward.

“We are not burying the situation and this will not prohibit Weymouth FC taking action if anything arises that has been out of the current regime’s control.”

After the May 2011 accounts were finally passed, the meeting then moved on to the Community Trust with a resolution being proposed to safeguard the club from sole ownership in the future by restricting any one person to a maximum shareholding of 7.5 per cent.

Biddlecombe, who signed his majority stake over to the Trust back in April, said: “We want to make sure that never again in the history of Weymouth FC do we get a situation where one man can have full control.

“It has always been a dream of mine that the supporters club should run the football club and that remains.

“That is why we also want to exempt the Weymouth FC Supporters Assoc-iation from the 7.5 per cent shareholding limit.”

The resolution was passed but shareholders did raise concerns that a small group of people could still conspire to take control by combining their 7.5 per cent stakes.

Therefore an amendment to the resolution was also passed to allow it to be reviewed, amended if necessary, and agreed at the next meeting.

Biddlecombe ended the AGM by thanking everyone for their continued support before going on to take questions on general matters. The main points from that discussion were as follows:

* The club is still waiting to hear from Kettering Town-bound Warren Byerley on how he intends to repay the £2,000 loan for a recent knee operation.

* The £60,000 debt inherited by the current regime has been cut to £5,000.

* 178 season tickets have been sold so far.

* An agreement with the council and Wessex Delivery Partnership has been reached to allow the club to profit from using the Bob Lucas Stadium as a coach park during the Olympics.

* Discussions with WDP and Morgan Sindall are ongoing over the subject of a new stadium with all future proposals to be presented to the board for analysis, which will then be followed by a public meeting.

AS IT HAPPENED

* Shareholders accept there are no minutes available from the previous AGM, which was held on December 20, 2011.

* It is confirmed that Tony McDonnell has stepped down from the board due to private commitments but will still provide help and assistance wherever possible.

* Nigel Biddlecombe, Mark Coleman, Ralph Ricardo, Alan Pepperell, Steve Taylor, and Tony Greaves all retain their places on the board.

* A nomination for Shaun Hennessy to join the board is passed.

* Ade McDonald is confirmed as the representative on the board for the Weymouth FC Supporters Association.

* Accounts for the two years ending May, 31, 2011 are passed with assurance that the motion does not prohibit the club taking action if anything arises, that has been out of the current regime’s control.

* The following resolution is passed – This Annual General Meeting agrees that the Articles of Association be changed to allow the following provisions pertaining to the Community Trust (‘The Trust’):

– The shares held by the Trust are non-voting shares until re-allocated.

– The maximum shareholding of any one person or entity shall be 7.5 per cent and that voting rights be restricted to no more that 7.5 per cent of those shares available to be used in any vote i.e. the total number of shares issued minus the number held by the Trust.

– The Weymouth Football Club Supporters Association (or any successor of that group) will be exempt from the 7.5 per cent shareholding limit.

* The following amendment is added to the above resolution – This resolution is to be formally reviewed, amended if necessary, and agreed at the next AGM or at any earlier special meeting or EGM.

* Shareholders put their appreciation of the hard work that has been undertaken by the current regime on record followed by a round of applause.

* Nigel Biddlecombe thanks the shareholders and all the club’s followers for their ongoing support before formally closing the meeting.