GUISELEY have a new chairman as they look to make a bigger impact in the National League.

Recently appointed marketing manager James Ferguson has taken over the reins from long-serving Phil Rogerson.

And in a further change, Ady Towers becomes a director as he hands over responsibility as general manager football to James Pickles.

Ferguson, who is Commercial Director of Tate Oils in Otley, will be getting his first taste of National League football and he has a hard act to follow.

Rogerson, who received a National League award for his 37 years service to the club last weekend, has been a key figure in its rise from the Northern Counties East League and its expansion into the wider community.

Along with Stuart Allen and Norman Dukes he saved the club when it experienced a financial crisis in the mid-nineties and despite moving to Cornwall in recent years, he has continued to play a lead role.

Ferguson, whose previous footballing experience was with Hallmark Security League Division One outfit Silsden, has been tasked with raising the profile of the club generally and to liaise closer with the club’s business partners in his expanded remit.

Ferguson said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining Guiseley AFC as Chairman! I hope to be able to use my experience of football and business to positive effect and I am looking forward to working with the board.

“I am ambitious and make no excuses for the fact that I want to drive success at Guiseley both on and off the pitch; I believe that the relationship between chairman and manager is massively important and is an aspect of the role I really enjoy.

"But most of all I want this journey to be fun and I look forward to meeting Lions fans very soon so that I can share my vision and passion for football and most importantly success at Guiseley

“I think Guiseley have as much potential as any non-league club in the country and my job is to light the blue touch paper.”

Rogerson will continue as a director and remains chairman of the Community Foundation. He said: “The club has come a long way since I first became involved.

“We are now moving into an ever more professional era and I feel that as a club there are so many things that we do that we need to shout about.

“We need to make people aware of what is going on right on their doorstep. It is important that we grow our crowd and develop an infrastructure that could one day support a Football League club.

“Guiseley is a special club. We are fortunate to have such generous backers as Steve Parkin and John Gill who want to continue to take the club forward.

"Our performances in the second half of last season have encouraged us to aim higher. We don’t want any more last day battles with relegation.”

Rogerson also acknowledged the huge contribution that supporters and volunteers continue to do for Guiseley.

He has always been immensely proud of the family atmosphere that has remained with the club during its climb up the non-league pyramid.

“I would like to thank all those people who continue to do such good work for the club,” said Rogerson. Many of them do it for little or no pay, but they do it with pride and they do it professionally.

“Personally, I am looking forward to continuing our community work and delivering projects which make a difference. Guiseley is so much more than just a football team.”