Eastleigh Football Club have unveiled the six men who will be piloting the next stage of the Spitfires' incredible flight up the non-League pyramid.
The six (pictured left to right) - David Malone, Chris Evans, Paul Murray, Darren Ridge, Paul Doswell and Andy Doswell - will be the new equity directors when the Conference South club becomes a limited company on June 1.
They will be joined by five other directors elected from the football club committee to form an 11-strong board boasting a wide range of football and business knowledge - plus the financial muscle to push the club to even greater heights.
In four fairytale seasons, Eastleigh have dragged themselves up from the Wessex League wilderness to become one of the most talked-about clubs on the non-League circuit.
After successive promotions from the Wessex, Dr Martens Eastern and Ryman Premier divisions, they could finish as high as fifth in their debut Conference South season if they win their last game at home to Havant on Saturday.
Introducing Eastleigh's six equity directors -
Paul Murray: Chief executive of the new Eastleigh Football Club Ltd.
Aged 57, he is chairman and managing director of Paul Murray PLC, a health and beauty sales and marketing company in Chandler's Ford.
Has worked in the Eastleigh area for 40 years. A past chairman of Eastleigh Rotary Club, he was also chairman of the Southampton and Winchester fundraising group for the Rose Road Children's Appeal.
Paul DOSWELL: Will combine his director's role with that of team manager. Aged 40, he is a director of Drew Smith Ltd and played non-League football for Totton, Havant Town and Eastleigh. Also played for the Hampshire senior side, which he went on to manage.
CHRIS EVANS: Aged 55, has been in the banking industry for 35 years and is currently a board member and chief operating officer for two banks based in Moscow.
He is responsible for over 4,500 employees spread over the 11 time zones of Russia. Previously with Citibank. He was chairman of Hampshire cricketer Shaun Udal's benefit year, which is when he met Eastleigh's assistant manager Mark Dennis. Played football for Staines, Ashford and Camberley and has always had a great love of non-League.
DARREN RIDGE: Currently involved in five different telecom companies and is managing director of Premier Telecom, one of Eastleigh's major sponsors. The 43-year-old was previously co-founder of KJC Mobile Phones, which he sold in 2000.
ANDY DOSWELL: Aged 42, is the founder and chairman of Drew Smith Ltd and will be the Eastleigh director responsible for youth football. Played for Totton in the Wessex League. A keen golfer.
DAVID MALONE: Will be Eastleigh's new director of football, a post he currently holds with Winchester City, whom he led to FA Vase glory in 2004. The 53-year-old is the director of an offshore investment company as well as a property company in the UK. Has a great deal of experience of the non-League game.
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