Roger Finbow is set to stand down as the chairman of the Ipswich Town PLC following its AGM at Portman Road on Tuesday 16th December - where chairman and CEO Mark Ashton and chief financial officer Tom Ball will answer shareholders’ questions - with Peter Over set to take over.

Finbow (pictured above right at last year’s AGM), a club director prior to the Marcus Evans takeover, became PLC chair in 2012 after former club chairman David Sheepshanks left the position.

Over (above left), a former director and trustee of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, who was involved in the organisation of the Suffolk Show and with a background in farming, joined the PLC board in 2015, replacing another former club chairman, John Kerr.

The PLC represents the shareholding of the club prior to Evans’s 2007 takeover with the majority of those owning the shares - who number around 3,500 - supporters who bought them as the club sought to raise cash following the 2003 period in administration.

Having opted to maintain a five per cent ownership of the club after the April 2021 takeover, its stake has since been diluted multiple times as Gamechanger 20 Ltd injected new funds into the club, then last year US-based private equity firm Bright Path Sports Partners took a 40 per cent stake through a £120 million investment.

“The two directors offering themselves for re-election this year are Richard Moore (above middle) and myself,” Finbow wrote to shareholders.

“Having been your chairman for more than 10 years I have concluded that it is time for me to hand over the chair to someone else, and Peter Over, who has recently become a club ambassador, has agreed to take on the role with effect from the end of the meeting.

“I intend to remain on the board and to support Peter, assuming I am re-elected! It has been a great privilege to serve as chairman over what has been a period of significant change.”

Regarding the club’s fortunes during the last year, he added: “Our time in the Premier League was all too short, but over the season we acquired many new admirers, playing attractive, creative football and I think we can justifiably feel that when we get back there, hopefully at the end of this season, we will know what to expect and be well equipped for it.

“Our stadium and facilities have certainly benefited and we should be proud of all the improvements that Mark and his team have been able to make, facilitated by the massive financial contributions to the club made by our US friends, who have become real supporters and regular match attendees as well as investors.

“With the stadium now fit for purpose, attention has turned to the training centre. If you ever travel along Playford Road you will see the beginnings of the massive improvements that are taking place there –justifying our status as a category one academy.”

The AGM, which will get under way at 5.30pm, is open only to shareholders or their proxies.

Photo: TWTD

waveneyblue added 20:16 - Nov 21 Roger.. over. Reminds me of Airplane
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