MINEHEAD Association Football Club have appointed Robbie Hopkins as their new chairman. He takes over from Mark Vickers who was intending to stand down from the end of May.

But he will now do so with effect from April 8 to allow Hopkins ‘more time to settle in but also to directly have input to appointing other roles with the remaining directors. 

Mark Vickers said: “I couldn’t be more pleased that Robbie has agreed to take over as chairman. I know that this decision will be a popular one and I know the members will get behind Robbie in taking this great and historical club forward. Robbie has terrific credentials. He first played for Minehead at 16 and soon progressed to the first team. He has also had stints at several other West Somerset teams as player and manager. 

"Robbie managed Minehead’s first team for a number of years. He has also coached and managed at youth level and currently has son Jonah is playing in the Under 18s side and senior level football. "I will miss being at the helm of the club particularly when we have such a bright future with so many really talented youngsters coming through every year. I will still be around the club supporting and will still hopefully be managing the Under 18s into next season.

“Thanks to the club for an enjoyable tenure and good luck to all concerned for the future”.

Meanwhile, Minehead and Watchet Town both have home games in the first division of the Uhlsport Somerset County League on Saturday.

Minehead, down in 11th spot, will be looking for an improved display after losing away to struggling Stockwood Green when they play Yatton & Cleeve United (3p.m.).

Yatton are lying sixth in the table but have games in hand on all the teams above them. They have lost only two of their 19 matches.

After this, Minehead finish the season with four successive away matches and still need points to make sure they avoid a bottom three finish.

This is not where Minehead expected to be at this stage of the season. They are an ambitious club and have their sights set on Toolstation League football. There was a five-year plan for this but at the moment it would appear improving their position in the county league is the priority. But this will not be easy with so many away matches.

Watchet, in second place six points behind leaders Staplegrove but with two games in hand, are home to Castle Cary and should be too good for their opponents (3p.m.).

However Watchet club spokesman Nick Sully said: “Castle Cary have improved - they’ve won two of their last three matches.

“We were a little disappointing in the first half at Middlezoy. But we created more chances after the interval and could have won the game. The important thing was not to lose all three points against Middlezoy.

“We want to keep it interesting until we play Staplegrove away (April 20). To be honest, we never thought we would be in this position at the beginning of the season. We were looking in the summer to steady the ship and to finish in a top-six position. Now we find ourselves in with a chance of the title. It’s not what we expected." 

Alcombe Rovers, lying third in Division Two of the Taunton Saturday League, play at home to fifth placed Dulverton Town on Saturday, while Minehead Colts are away to North Petherton Reserves.Porlock Reserves are away to Norton Fitzwarren Reserves in a mid-table clash.