Hunt wants at least two promotions over next five seasons

NEW Huntingdon Town chairman Paul Hunt is targeting two promotions over the next five seasons.

Businessman Hunt, who is from Huntingdon, set out his bold targets after replacing outgoing club co-founder Hans Reif in the Jubilee Park hotseat.

And he revealed his main aim is to take what he hopes to transform into a popular family-orientated club from its current UCL Division One status (Step 6) up the pyramid system over the coming seasons.

He told The Hunts Post this week: “Huntingdon play only six levels below the Football League and, within the next three to five years, the club’s aim is to be promoted through at least another two levels.

“The club has an outstanding stadium venue that is already fully floodlit, has its own club house and is looking to develop seating around the ground in the coming season.

“Our venue is already far superior to many other clubs at this level and it is our clear intention to improve at every level, the facilities that will be available for our supporters.

“This will be a family club, orientated for youngsters to be able to come through the system and move into the first team.”

Hunt’s first strategic move saw him set Huntingdon Town FC up as a limited company, with long standing club secretary and co-founder Russell Yezek the first appointment to the new board of directors.

The new Town chairman also said Ricky Marheineke, who took over as first team manager on a short-term basis back in February, will be staying on beyond the end of this season.

“Ricky has made an impressive start to the latter part of the season, which can only bode well for our push for promotion next season,” Hunt said.

“Ricky’s assistant Mark Furness, along with Paul Swannell, complete the first team management trio that are set on developing the team, as they come through the reserves and under 18s from Huntingdon Rowdies, who produce excellent youngsters, creating an academy system that promotes from within.

“We relish the challenge of local derbies with such well supported clubs such as St Neots and St Ives Town and look forward to becoming the area’s dominant local football team.”

Hunt also reserved praise for his predecessor, saying: “May I congratulate the outgoing chairman Hans Reif and the existing team at Jubilee Park, who have worked so hard to put together - and keep together - a first class facility that is now very well established.

“The input of the team here is to be applauded and is another typical example of tremendous personal sacrifice where there is very little or, in most circumstances, no monetary reward.”