NEW chairman of Crediton United AFC is Alan Ord who has been associated with football in Crediton and Tedburn St Mary for nearly 30 years. Having played in London, Bucks and Beds leagues and following the relocation of the insurance company he worked for, he moved his family to Crediton in 1990.

Alan, then 30 years old played in the Devon and Exeter League for Tedburn St Mary and was a Crediton Youth Team coach for seven years from the mid-90s with both of his boys (Andrew and Kenny) playing for CYFC.  

His daughter Danielle was also a footballer until the age of 16. Eldest son Andrew is club captain for Pottersbury FC playing in the North Bucks Premier League and Kenny, currently plays up front for Crediton Firsts.

Not long retired as Head of Operations for The Exeter (formerly Exeter Friendly Society), Alan was elected at the club’s recent annual meeting. He has lived in Crediton for more than 25 years altogether. 

Alan commented: “The key thing we want is to make sure this is a good community club, I want to get more of the community involved - we are really pleased to have been getting up to 200 people at matches recently.

“This is a welcoming club and I would like to see attendance of matches and events we run even better supported. We have some terrific sponsors and we thank them for helping us to operate even during these uncertain pandemic times.

“We work together with the Youth teams.  Although independently run and not part of Crediton United, we share facilities and ideas and are pleased that players from the Youth teams move onto play in both our senior teams.”

David Blanchford (President and interim vive-chairman) added that his grandson had just moved up from the Youth to their Second team.  “This is quite a big jump for the younger players,”  he said. 

At the annual meeting the club co-opted a number of new committee members .  “The club is always glad to hear from people who want to become involved without being on the committee, people who would like to help,” added Alan. 

At the meeting the president, Dave Blanchford and now interim vice chairman, thanked everyone who had supported him during his 57 years with the club, latterly taking over as temporary chairman following the sudden death of chairman, Graham Avery.

He said when the clubhouse on Lords Meadow was built more than 40 years ago, Crediton United had four teams, 23 members of the committee, with the clubhouse open every evening as well as Sunday lunchtimes, three members working on a nine week rota for the bar.

“So you can tell we had a very strong committee, then our first lady football secretary as well. Very good she was, maybe a bit bossy but kept us in order!

“However, in granting permission to build the clubhouse, the council in its wisdom put us where we are, away from the pitch which has never helped in fundraising.

“Also it is too far from the pitch for many spectators. However, everything you see on the ground was bought and paid for by our hard working team over the years.

“Four pitches and the youth pitches were on one six acre field and a lot of hard work went into making them what they are today,” said Dave.

He said that during his 57 years with the club he was Captain from 1964-1972, Second team manager for one season when they won the league.