03/07/23
The directors of Slough Town Football Club are delighted to confirm that the Football Association and the National League have provided formal approval of the change of ownership, and therefore we can officially announce A23 Football Group Limited as the new majority owners of the club.
The A23 Football Group has several successful businesses that operate in the football and education sectors. Its directors are Ashley Smith and Simon Doyle, who will soon be joined by Tristan Heywood.
Ashley Smith (founder of A23) has great experience in the football world, developing and educating young players. Ashley has worked in the commercial side of the game whilst also developing relationships within the community at previous clubs, most notably becoming Head of Community after joining Wycombe Wanderers in 2000.
During his stay at Wycombe Wanderers, he played a pivotal role in developing the charitable arm of the club, which earned recognition as an award-winning programme by the Football League Trust.
In 2014, Ashley decided to embark on his own journey, combining his passion for football and business. Over the past nine years, he has focused on developing educational programmes aimed at supporting young people, achieving notable success in both academic and football.
In addition to his working life Ashley has had an extensive non-league playing career spanning 19 years at various clubs in the non-league pyramid.
Simon Doyle is currently the CEO of a global healthcare company. Over the past 25 years, Simon has built an extremely successful business within the sciences industry.
He is also a founding partner of FutureProof Pro, a company which focuses on supporting athletes and professional sports people of all ages, as they transition from full-time sport into a full-time career. Simon is a qualified referee, and as frequently as possible takes youth football matches across Bucks & Berks, living locally in Beaconsfield.
Tristan Heywood has spent the past 20 years as a headhunter in the executive recruitment industry, as well as being a co-founder in FutureProof Pro with Simon Doyle.
Originally from Marlow, he has always had a passion for football, playing for a number of local non-league clubs as well as obtaining professional coaching qualifications at the start of his career.
Ashley, Simon and Tristan have a love of the game and are excited for what’s ahead in making Slough Town Football Club a place where the community comes together, whilst also achieving sporting success on and off the pitch.
Mike Lightfoot and Kay Lathey will retain a share in the club and join a newly formed board which includes Ashley, Simon and Tristan, with Mike remaining as Chairman.
The club will host a ‘fans forum’ at Arbour Park on the evening of Wednesday 2 August at 7pm, where supporters will be able to meet Ashley, Simon and Tristan. Questions can be asked on the night, and can also be submitted in advance - click here.
We would like to thank supporters for their patience during the wait for approval from the governing bodies, and look forward to welcoming you to Arbour Park next month.
The A23 Football Group has several successful businesses that operate in the football and education sectors. Its directors are Ashley Smith and Simon Doyle, who will soon be joined by Tristan Heywood.
Ashley Smith (founder of A23) has great experience in the football world, developing and educating young players. Ashley has worked in the commercial side of the game whilst also developing relationships within the community at previous clubs, most notably becoming Head of Community after joining Wycombe Wanderers in 2000.
During his stay at Wycombe Wanderers, he played a pivotal role in developing the charitable arm of the club, which earned recognition as an award-winning programme by the Football League Trust.
In 2014, Ashley decided to embark on his own journey, combining his passion for football and business. Over the past nine years, he has focused on developing educational programmes aimed at supporting young people, achieving notable success in both academic and football.
In addition to his working life Ashley has had an extensive non-league playing career spanning 19 years at various clubs in the non-league pyramid.
Simon Doyle is currently the CEO of a global healthcare company. Over the past 25 years, Simon has built an extremely successful business within the sciences industry.
He is also a founding partner of FutureProof Pro, a company which focuses on supporting athletes and professional sports people of all ages, as they transition from full-time sport into a full-time career. Simon is a qualified referee, and as frequently as possible takes youth football matches across Bucks & Berks, living locally in Beaconsfield.
Tristan Heywood has spent the past 20 years as a headhunter in the executive recruitment industry, as well as being a co-founder in FutureProof Pro with Simon Doyle.
Originally from Marlow, he has always had a passion for football, playing for a number of local non-league clubs as well as obtaining professional coaching qualifications at the start of his career.
Ashley, Simon and Tristan have a love of the game and are excited for what’s ahead in making Slough Town Football Club a place where the community comes together, whilst also achieving sporting success on and off the pitch.
Mike Lightfoot and Kay Lathey will retain a share in the club and join a newly formed board which includes Ashley, Simon and Tristan, with Mike remaining as Chairman.
The club will host a ‘fans forum’ at Arbour Park on the evening of Wednesday 2 August at 7pm, where supporters will be able to meet Ashley, Simon and Tristan. Questions can be asked on the night, and can also be submitted in advance - click here.
We would like to thank supporters for their patience during the wait for approval from the governing bodies, and look forward to welcoming you to Arbour Park next month.
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