THE new chairman of the Basingstoke Town Supporters’ Club says that making the fans’ voice heard is one of her main aims.

Julie Partridge was elected to the post of supporters’ club chairman during an extraordinary general meeting last week – and she is determined to improve the lines of communication between fans and the club.

“As supporters, we need to feel we have a voice and we need to make sure we get the link back between us and the football club,” Partridge said. “Proper lines of communication need to be set up from the supporters’ club to the boardroom and back.

“I would like to see a supporters’ club representative going to board meetings again, while it would also be good if directors came to our meetings.”

Partridge is joined on the supporters’ club committee by Brian Parsons, who has taken over as vice-chairman. Long-standing treasurer Nigel Mattock retains his role, while June Partridge has been elected secretary.

Kelly Thorn and Diana Partridge will share the job of membership secretary, a new role, while the committee is completed by Sam Miller, Terry Stratton, James Holly, Lynda Partridge, Katie Oliver and Dot Brown.

The supporters’ club has come in for criticism in recent months – but Partridge is hoping that the new committee can turn things around.

She said: “The supporters’ club has not been as efficient as it could be for quite some time. I have got no idea why that is, but I am hoping that the committee we have got can change things.

“It is a group of people drawn from all parts of the club, with people who are involved both on and off of the pitch as well as general supporters.”

One area where the supporters’ club has struggled of late is with regard to arranging travel to away games, with fans particularly critical of the organisation’s failure to arrange a coach for the trip to Bath City in the FA Trophy.

“If fans want us to provide travel then we are prepared to organise it but it has to be financially viable,” Partridge said. “There is not always enough take-up to make it worthwhile.

“I would like there to be a lot more going on for supporters in general. I have got lots of ideas but we need to discuss and prioritise them.

“We will use the time between now and the end of the season to set things up in the hope that things will be in place for the start of next season, so we can get membership on the rise again.”