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Ashton quits the board at Watford
Tom Collomosse12.12.08
Chief Executive Mark Ashton has left Watford as the boardroom upheaval at Vicarage Road continues, writes Tom Collomosse
Ashton, a close ally of former chairman Graham Simpson, quit last night, with the Championship club set to make an official announcement today.
Ashton's exit, as predicted in Standard Sport yesterday, paves the way for ex-directors Jimmy and Vince Russo - whose Valley Grown Salads company is the club's second largest shareholder with a 29.13 per cent stake - to be re-elected to the board.
Standard Sport understands Jimmy Russo is keen to replace interim chairman Andy Wilson, an associate of largest shareholder Lord Michael Ashcroft, who does not want the job long-term. Lord Ashcroft has a 37 per cent holding, which he is thought to wish to sell.
The plan is to have a five-man board in place by the New Year whose first task will be to bring in at least £5million fresh investment - something Simpson and Ashton failed to do.
Reader views (2)
This is all very well but Simpson steered the club through a very bad time and has received no thanks for it. No-one else came in and offered to help, did they.
He couldn' fund it any more so trimmed the bills and put the club up for sale, inviting new investment. That's all he could do in the circumstances.
Apart from the Russo's no-one else is interested. And, although I wish them good luck, they too do not have unlimited funds, and these days £5m is neither here nor there. It might just about keep us going for another season - staying in the Championship.
Then what.
Neverteless, good luck Jimmy and Vince, you have my full support.
- Play-Off Pete, Essex UK
Sounds like good news, especially with the £5 million extra investment, which should enable us to keep our top players & replace inadequate ones like Jobi McAnuff.
- Bobbie Wattie, Watford
