David Reid has taken over as chairman of Deal Town following Stuart McCluskey’s decision to step down.

Mr Reid, 72, has been a club director since 2006 and received the board’s backing to become chairman, at least until next year’s annual meeting, after Mr McCluskey announced that he was relinquishing his position because of health reasons.

Mr McCluskey, who will remain a club director, became chairman when Deal Town merged with Deal Town Rangers Youth FC in April 2008.

A former science teacher at Deal Secondary School (now Castle Community College), Mr Reid, who lives in St Leonard’s Road, has been a prime "mover" in the campaign to build a new clubhouse at the Charles Ground.

The board have agreed to hold a series of consultative meetings so that a new club structure will be in place for the 2010 annual meeting.

Mr Reid said the board had already re-instated (manager) Derek Hares as a full director and he would proposing that the Supporters’ Club chairman, Dayle Melody, should also be present at all board meetings.

For Hares, the more pressing priority is to end his side’s run of five league games without a win at bottom-of-the-table Lordswood on Saturday after last weekend’s home game with Norton was postponed five minutes before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Jake Eastwood starts a three-match ban and fellow defender Gary Beeden is on holiday.