Pic: Andy Nunn
GUERNSEY have been rocked by the news that club founder and chairman Steve Dewsnip will step down from his role.
Dewsnip, alongside manager Tony Vance and Mark Le Tissier, helped lay the groundwork to allow Guernsey to enter the Non-League Pyramid back in 2011.
Since then, the Green Lions have won two promotions to make it into the Ryman League Division One South while last weekend marked the first time an FA Cup game has been played on the island.
However, the club must now forge ahead without the expertise of Dewsnip, with the chairman saying family and work reasons were behind his decision.
In a statement, he said: “Over the past year and the last few weeks in particular, I have reached the conclusion that I no longer have the time to devote to the club that I feel as chairman, I should.
“Football has been in my family's blood for as long as we can remember and has played a huge part in my life for over 40 years. However, there are now more important things that require my time, including in particular my family and professional career.
“I was considering stepping down at the end of last season, believing that with the available time I had to devote to GFC, I had led the club as far as I could as chairman.
“However, I had one outstanding dream and that was to bring a home FA Cup tie to Guernsey, which of course has now been realised and in some style. I therefore now believe that the time is right for me to step down as your chairman.”
First team boss Vance told the club's website: “I want to take this opportunity to pay huge tribute to Steve and what he's done for this football club.
“Over five years we've achieved an awful lot of success on and off the pitch. Over the recent years it's become a real challenge and Steve has led the club superbly throughout that period.
“I don't know if people realise how instrumental he was in the forming of this football club and the lead figure in developing the business plan and taking it to the FA along with the support of Mark Le Tissier. Without him we wouldn't have a football club.
“There is no doubt we owe him an awful lot. I wish him well and it's with sadness that we are seeing him step down. Now it's a question of looking forward and seeing how we can make the right choice to continue taking this club forward.”
