Mark Woolcock is relishing the daunting job of steering Truro City to calmer waters, after being appointed as the Cornish club's first chief executive officer.
Woolcock, who has stepped up from the post of secretary, is confident that the club, which has been battered by financial problems over the past seasons, has a bright future.
In the shake-up, club owner Kevin Heaney, who over the past seven years has bankrolled City's remarkable rise to playing Blue Square Bet South football, will continue as chairman, but Woolcock will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the club.
He said: "Truro City have done exceptionally well as a team, but my main task is to bring the club back together by embracing the talent from the youth teams, developing our reserve team and supporting our superb ladies' team, with the overall aim of making us a highly successful community club with a national identity.
"Kevin has managed to get some new investment and I think the club is in a very strong position. But we have to live in the real world and bring in income on match days and sponsorship.
"We have to take a pragmatic approach," he added. "It has to be run as a business and not a rich man's folly, but the players will be looked after properly. My role will be to make us more business-like as an organisation, developing the strongest of links with the community, in order that we all share the spoils of the club's success."
Heaney said: "Mark is the most dynamic CEO I have ever known, who will bring stability and help develop the club into a local and national brand that we can all be proud of."
Truro manager Lee Hodges welcomed the news of Woolcock's appointment, calling it a positive move. He said: "Kevin has done amazing things for the club and he's Truro through and through, but I think it is a fresh start."
Hodges is set to give several trialists a run-out at Bideford tomorrow in City's first pre-season game. Last Friday's scheduled game at St Austell was called off because of a waterlogged Poltair pitch.
On Tuesday (7.30pm), Hodges' side are at home to npower League Two side Plymouth Argyle.
Hodges and his assistant, Dave Newton, have been banned for the first two matches of the new season, against Billericay Town and Havant & Waterlooville, following incidents at the end of City's 1-0 home defeat to Havant in April. The pair were incensed after referee Paul Rees gave the Hampshire side a penalty and then refused to give City one when Barry Hayles was brought down.
