Hennessy issues rally cry after claim to oust Weymouth chairman is rubbished (From Dorset Echo)

Hennessy issues rally cry after claim to oust Weymouth chairman is rubbished

8:27am Friday 8th March 2013 in Football By Adam Summers

SHAUN Hennessy has described this current period at Weymouth FC as the “greatest” for many years and urged supporters to turn out in force for tomorrow’s home game against Banbury United (3pm).

The Terras are currently in the frame to secure a play-off place at the end of the season and the overjoyed director is eager for the good times to continue.

His comments came after a source close to the club told Echosport that a group of directors were planning a coup to oust club chairman Nigel Biddlecombe – a claim Hennessy found completely baffling.

The town businessman said: “That is the first I have heard of it and I have not missed any meetings at all.

“Obviously on any board there are going to be discussions but there is certainly no split.

“First of all, why would we want to oust Nigel and who would take over?

“We have had years of chaos but now we have stability at last.

“The football is working nicely, financially its working nicely and the ground developments are progressing nicely, so to be honest I am rather angry that someone could even think that.”

Since using his family savings to acquire the Terras from controversial ex-chairman George Rolls last February, lifetime fan Biddlecombe has not only taken the historical step of transferring the club’s majority shareholding into a community trust, but he has also overseen a push for the play-offs in his very first season at the helm.

However, there has still been dissention in the ranks along the way, most notably last November when Biddlecombe backed boss Brendon King when several directors wanted him sacked following a poor run of results.

When asked to comment on the possibility of a potential coup, Biddlecombe said: “I do know there are one or two people dissatisfied with my performance as chairman but I had no idea it had come to that stage.

“I cannot really comment any more than that but I will be happy to talk after tomorrow morning’s board meeting.”

Dissatisfaction is certainly not being felt by Hennessy though, who added: “I can categorically state that no one on the board whatsoever has any ambition of running the club.

“We are happy with the direction it is heading in and Nigel is doing a fantastic job.

“Like any board we argue over finances and different parts of the club but everything is spot on.

“We are a team working together – we are one.”

Injuries and postponements earlier in the season have put a strain on finances however, and Biddlecombe and Hennessy are keen for as many as fans as possible to get behind the team in their last five home games.

Biddlecombe went on to say: “We are over budget at present and the current situation with injuries is not helping us, but it is manageable and if we could get 700 through the gate tomorrow we would be back on our feet again.

“These injuries have come at a really bad time and we would definitely like to bring in players on a loan basis as cover, but in order to do that we need some money to come in because we have got no leverage in the budget.

“The Wessex Fantasy Foot-ball is providing major assistance but what we really need is for the fans to come out in force and back what we are trying to achieve.”