HE GUIDED the club through some of the most successful seasons in their history but now Alresford Town chairman Trevor Ingram has decided to call it a day.

He will be standing down at the club’s annual meeting next month after over a decade in the chairman’s role and after being involved with the Magpies in one way or another for 30 years.

Ingram’s mood when he spoke to the Post last week was a far cry from the happy days of 2013 and 2014 when his club was one of the most successful in Hampshire.

The Magpies were runners-up in the Wessex Premier Division two seasons running but their crowning glory was in 2013 when they won the Hampshire Senior Cup, Wessex League Cup and North Hants Senior Cup.

“In hindsight perhaps I should have got out after those two successful seasons,” reflected Ingram.

“The last two seasons have been a real struggle. We’ve lost a few people around the club and it takes up a lot of your time.

“Sometimes for Saturday games I would be at the ground at 6.30am helping the groundsman out. For midweek games I rarely got home before 11.30pm.

“After the seasons where we did really well we have been nowhere near that level again. I remember this season at Bemerton I went and sat in my car with 30 minutes still to play. I’ve never done that before.

“When we got to the game it was only then that I found out most of the first team had gone away on a stag do. It’s time for me to stand down.”