Billericay Town have a new chairman and majority shareholder in the shape of self-confessed soccer nut Steve Kent.

Shake on it - departing chairman Rod Moore (right) has handed over control of Billericay Town to Steve Kent Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

Kent was unveiled as the new supremo at the Ryman Premier outfit last night after days of speculation that the club was to be sold for an unconfirmed figure around the £130,000 mark.

A Danbury businessman who, apart from supporting Spurs from his corporate hospitality box at White Hart Lane has travelled world-wide cheering on the England soccer team, Kent in effect becomes the owner of the New Lodge club.

He has purchased the controlling interest shares of departing chairman Rod Moore, company secretary and director Jim Hall - who steps down after well over 30 years service - and at least one other leading supporter.

Although there are individual fans holding small share numbers, there is no doubt that the new man is very much in charge at the club which first achieved fame by winning the FA Vase three times in four years in the 1970s.

And Kent has a steely determination to take the club managed by ex-Spurs star Justin Edinburgh back to better days on the non-league scene.

Moore is a firm believer that Kent is the man for the job, saying: "He has a tremendous enthusiasm for the task in hand -- the sort of enthusiasm that I probably had when I took over as chairman some eight years ago.

"It's an open secret that we've struggled to keep pace with many of our Premier rivals on the financial side over the last 18 months.

"I've been putting out feelers for some time to try and find a business person with the financial clout to take Billericay Town forward in the way I believe everyone at this club deserves."

For more on Ryman Premier League sides see our Ryman Premier League section

Published Friday January 9, 2004

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