Former chairman Bill Dordoy says Ben Smith arrived as 'part of the deal' that would pave the way for a new consortium take over of Herne Bay Football Club.

The ex-Canterbury City boss was announced as manager on Saturday following the departure of Nick Gearing, who had been informed he was surplus to requirements the day before having spent less than a month in charge.

Changes up top have seen Dordoy replaced by Stuart Fitchie after 28 years at the club, with treasurer Ronald Boddy and secretary John Bathurst also preparing to make way for Rob Taylor and Martyn Sexton, respectively.

• Nick Gearing reacts to shock removal as Herne Bay manager

Mr Dordoy admitted: "We had said that if somebody came in with some financial backing we would step aside. We've had a couple of people show interest in the last three or four months which has led to nothing.

"This consortium made an approach a couple of weeks ago, we didn't, I particularly didn't, like the look of the initial 10 names they put across to us, but it's been whittled down now and we're quite happy with the format we've got now.

"They also came with a manager in Ben Smith, he is part of the consortium. It was quite obvious that once they came in and we'd accepted them they would have their own manager, so that's caused a problem about Nick Gearing which really we had no option with.

"He (Ben Smith) came as part of the deal. He was one of the forerunners that came to us and said 'we've got a consortium to take over, are you interested?'.

"We needed this consortium to take over for financial reasons. We're quite happy with them and the five it's been whittled down to now, we're very happy with the construction of their committee and board of directors now and we're stepping aside.

"It's a shame the way it's worked out. Nobody has a bad word to say about Nick, it's just that these people came in with their own manager."

With Mr Dordoy in his late sixties and both Mr Boddy and Mr Bathurst in their seventies, the trio were evidently keen to pass the baton to successors capable of taking the club forward.

"It came at the right time really," added Mr Dordoy. "We're all getting older, you can't rely on people at our age to keep running the club, we haven't got the will power or the ambition, if you like, and the money to take it onto the next step.

"These people are younger and have got some financial backing. There are no bad feelings, we're all quite happy for how it's worked out."

Gearing, who was hired in April, had been in the process of lining up new signings and said he was expecting around 20 players to report for pre-season, including a couple of ex-professionals.

Hopes of putting his plans into action on the pitch were then cut short via a phone call on Friday night from Mr Bathurst, who broke the news to Gearing that he was being replaced as manager.

Mr Dordoy said: "When we took on Nick Gearing, Ben was still Canterbury manager so there was no option of interviewing Ben or trying to get Ben. We didn't foresee what was going to happen there. That all changed once Canterbury sacked him.

"I haven't seen any names (of potential signings under Gearing). I do know a few of the old team rejected his advances, but to be fair that wasn't all down to him, it was that we weren't offering a big budget.

"That has altered a bit now that these people have come in, so we will technically have access to better players. Ben is an experienced manager so he knows what he's doing, Nick was inexperienced and a lot of it was hope rather than proven things.

"We're quite happy about it, it's just a shame about Nick. Perhaps we jumped too quickly to appoint him.

"He (Gearing) came and was prepared to work for a low budget, but I think he might have found out himself when phoning people and offering them very little money that unfortunately nowadays the entire football structure is about cash.

"Players are expecting far more than what they're worth and silly money is being paid by some clubs. There are people in the Bostik South East on £400/£500-a-week, it's ridiculous. We cannot survive on those kinds of wages."

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