SOUTHERN LEAGUE: AS Chippenham Town continue to do the business on the field, Sandie Webb is busy making sure things are running just as smoothly at behind scenes at Hardenhuish.

Since her appointment as chairman in March, Mrs Webb has directed most of her attentions into making sure the club are financially ready for potential promotion.

She has now appointed Simon Coy as sales and marketing manager and together they have drawn up a host of ideas and events to bring money into the club.

With Chippenham sitting a point clear at the top of the Premier Division, Mrs Webb recognises the need to bring in revenue if her side are to become a force in the divisions above.

She said: "Simon had been working at Swindon Town on the commercial side but he had a bit of a falling out with them and left.

"I know him from the district council and he approached me and said he would be willing to help so I quickly took him up on his offer.

"He is a financial adviser, which will be useful, and from his time at Swindon he has a lot of football contacts which could prove very valuable to us.

"Lauren McKell, our part-time sales executive, is leaving at the end of the season due to family commitments and I needed someone to come on the road with me to attract money in."

Mrs Webb is hoping their joint efforts will be able to stop the club relying on the directors' money that has been so important in recent seasons.

She said: "Our main effort is to make this club financially self sufficient. We can't keep going to directors and asking them for money because they don't have a bottomless supply of it.

"In the middle of the night I have sometimes got up and looked at how other clubs are making themselves commercially viable.

"I know of a few sides who never thought about getting their finances in order before they went up and now are in a desperate situation.

"In fact just the other day someone was telling me about a club in the same league as us and vying for promotion as well. Apparently they only have three directors, no money, their ground is owned by everyone but them, they have no players on contract but are still pushing to go up. That is financial suicide and absolute madness."

Events such as a sportsman's dinner with premiership referee Graham Poll and an over-age disco have already been organised, while there are many other ideas in the pipeline.

Webb said: "In about a month's time we will be able to announce a lot more.

"There are a lot of people who want to get involved with this football club and Simon and I will work hard to attract them in and then make sure we have enough to offer to keep their interest."

Ahead of tomorrow's crucial top of the table tie at home to Bedford, Mrs Webb is confident Chippenham would be able to cope with the extra financial pressure of promotion.

She said: "Everything is being put in place to make sure we can cope. But even if we do miss out it is important we all get behind the team for another push next year.

"It would not be the end in fact in a way it is just the beginning. I have already started working on ideas for the close season next year."