Swinton appoint new CEO
Swinton Lions have confirmed that Steve Wild has been appointed as the club’s new CEO.
Wild, already a director at the club, has clear ideas about how he intends to take the club forward.
“I have spent 30 years in the financial sector, the last 15 in management, and I think a lot of the financial and people skills learnt there will stand me in good stead,” he told his club’s official website.
“But aside from my professional background, what is most important is that hopefully our supporters will recognise me as someone that they can trust. It’s certainly clear from my conversations with supporters that they already appreciate the honesty and transparency of the new management structure.
“I hold Swinton extremely close to my heart, and I can promise everyone connected with the Lions that I will represent the club to the very best of my ability.
“I certainly regarded it as a great honour and privilege when I was offered the position.
“We have come a long way in a remarkably short space of time, but I recognise that we are only a fraction of the way into the journey.
“We have created financial stability, but we need to keep kicking on and develop the business to its full potential.
“To do that we need to engage with our local business community better than we have historically, and build up relationships based on trust.
“We need to offer a good product on the field, and the Board and myself will continue to proactively support John Duffy’s squad development plans.
“On the field getting out of this division at the earliest possible opportunity is vital. Off the field we need to engage with our local community, and on that score I’m pleased that I can already say that I’ve helped develop much improved relationships with local schools, amateur clubs and Salford City Council.
“One big long-term issue which must be resolved, probably above all others, is that of a home venue in the M27 post code area.
“If I’m to leave a legacy from my appointment, I would truly love it to be a new community stadium, because if we can deliver on that, it’s clear that the other ambitions referred to above will become a lot easier to achieve.
“To a large extent what we need to do is rebuild the club’s identity, because we’ve certainly suffered in that respect since the loss of Station Road in 1992.
“In particular, we need to see younger fans attending matches and identifying on a personal level with our players.
“You don’t need to be a genius to realise that this club has so much potential, something I tried to impress on our Chairman on the day he first arrived.
“Indeed with John Roddy and the other Board Members, we have a talented, ambitious and tight-knit group. No egos, just a burning will to succeed.
“The knock-on effect of our combined efforts will, amongst other things, hopefully result in much improved crowds on match days, a process kick-started by our incredible turn out at Blackpool last Saturday.”