AFTER 15 years as chairman of Westbury United, Philip Alford will handing over the reins to George Dowd at the end of the season.

Alford, 53, will become a trustee of the club and will continue to run the reserve side but he believes the time was right to put a new man at the helm.

Dowd is currently Westbury's assistant manager having been at Meadow Lane for five years and Alford says he is an ideal replacement.

He said: "George and I have been talking about it for the last season. I know him well and I believe he will do a very good job.

"I am not resigning from the club, I am merely stepping down as chairman because I don't feel I can give it the time it needs anymore.

"George is capable of taking it further and I will still be there to oversee everything."

"I have been at Westbury man and boy. My father was manager here and my brothers have played here as I have.

"I feel the club is now in a better position than it has been for a long time. Since I became chairman it has been a long hard struggle.

"The club have dragged their backsides along the bottom but since Derek Graham has come here as manager everything has taken off.

"I am stepping down knowing the club is in a very healthy position."

Dowd, 56, has been involved in Wiltshire football most of his life and is relishing the challenge.

"I am looking forward to it, but not much is going to change. The club will be run the same way as it always has been," he said.

"The biggest difference is we will now have a chairman who can greet the visiting teams when they arrive as obviously because of Phil's reserve commitments he was unable to do that.

"I initially joined the club to help them raise money but when Derek Graham arrived as manager a few years ago I was invited to be assistant manager. I won't continue that next season."

Dowd also revealed the club plan to set up a under 18 side to play in the midweek floodlit league next season.

He said: "Youth is definitely the future for clubs like us and if we can get good players coming through the youth set up into the first team then everything will be looking good."

Westbury entertain Wellington in the league tomorrow before playing at home to Bemerton in the Salisbury Hospital Cup quarter-final at Westbury on Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm.

Wayne Wheeler is expected to have recovered from his knee injury to play while Mark Pearce should also be available for then game.