New director on board to help bring club home

Former matchday announcer and building surveyor Doug Kendall, pictured, will stand for election at the First Division North club's AGM after being co-opted onto the club's board of directors on Wednesday.

Born in Scarborough, the Seadogs fan and his wife have been supporters for many years with both working on matchdays for the club, the latter organising and looking after the mascots at games.

After returning to Scarborough in 2005, Kendall was employed by Scarborough Borough Council to manage the project delivery team for all their major regeneration projects including the town's marina, harbour side redevelopment and business park.

Now semi-retired, the self-employed building surveyor has already worked closely since 2012 on the development of the club's new ground with the Seadogs board, the local authority and the developers and operators of their new sports village home.

Kendall said: “As the date to return to Scarborough gets closer I wanted to be more involved with the club and the move back to town. I am very happy to accept the invitation to be co-opted to the board with a view to standing for election at the AGM.”

Scarborough Athletic chairman Dave Holland believes the club's newest director can make a big impact during a critical period in their history as they push forward with plans to leave their temporary home at Bridlington's Queensgate.

Holland said: “The board are delighted that Doug Kendall has agreed to join us. Co-opting new blood like Doug and bringing in new skills and expertise is a great way to strengthen the board – in fact the whole club!

"We've worked with Doug on the Weaponness Project for some years now and I'm confident that his maturity, and his proven business and management skill set will undoubtedly help us to move our club forward.

“Co-option is a great way for someone to experience running a football club, to work as part of our team, and to experience the commitment they'll need to make prior to seeking election to the full board. The decision to invite Doug to join us was unanimous, and we may consider making further appointments in due course.”

He added: “We're mindful of the wide range of challenges that face Scarborough Athletic in the short and long term. It's important that we continue to work closely with the council, the developers and the sports village operators throughout the build phase and beyond.

"It's also important to do everything we can to maintain the confidence of our sponsors, potential new sponsors, and the broader community with whom we'll increasingly need to engage."

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