MINEHEAD Town are looking to the 2001-2 season to finally bury their "crisis club" tag and consolidate in the Screwfix Direct First Division following their relegation from the Premier Division.

But they accept it could be several years before people's faith in the club is restored.

Long-term Minehead supporter Brian Walder, who was elected as the club's new treasurer at last week's annual general meeting, said that with a new committee, the club should avoid the sort of traps it had fallen into in the past.

He said that following manager Andy Hodgson's plea for help at the end of last season, an encouraging number of people had come forward to stand on various committees and offer their help.

"The committee is now stronger than it has been for the past 20 years, and even compares with when the club were a top non-league force in the 1970s," said Mr Walder, whose connection with the club dates back to the late 1960s.

"Not only have several new faces appeared, but also some familiar ones who have been involved before, and with the majority of the committee now being businessmen from the local area, we shouldn't fall into the traps that the club have walked into in the past.

"The average age is also very young, and their amount of enthusiasm can only help to rebuild the club."

Mr Walder said he had only become involved again because of the level of commitment which seemed to be coming forward.

"All too often the club has been run by one person, and this has been when the problems have arisen. We now have a couple of dozen committed persons full of ideas, and a definite feeling of democracy.

"The first objective is to regain the belief of the local community, and show that we are capable of operating successfully at this level, but this will take several years of solvent trading.".

The Blues made a small profit over the last season, and a new fundraising committee has created a varied sponsorship and advertising campaign with the intention of improving the facilities at the neglected Irnham Road ground, where vandalism has been a huge problem in recent years.

"With the club keeping it's policy of not paying players, any surplus funds raised will be ploughed back into renovating the facilities at the ground and returning the playing surface to its previously high standard," added Mr Walder.

As well as the 1st XI playing the Screwfix League, the club will have two teams in the Taunton Saturday League - Minehead Sports - formerly West Somerset Sports and effectively the reserve team - and the newly-formed Minehead Sports Colts.

Pre-season training starts next Tuesday evening at 7pm, and all local players who would like to play at any of the three levels are welcome to go along to the Recreation Ground.