Dunfermline: John Yorkston to stand down as chairman
- Published
John Yorkston is standing down as chairman of Dunfermline Athletic at the end of the season after 14 years in the post with the Fife club.
The 58-year-old, who is also the managing director of legal service company First Scottish Group, will become the club's honorary president.
He will be succeeded by Rodney Shearer, managing director of Alba Trees.
Three new directors are set to join the club, which will now have a football board and a non-football board.
Two come from shirt sponsors the Purvis Group, Bob Purvis being chairman of the construction company and Jim Thomson being managing director, while Bob Garmory is chairman of Carnegie College.
Former Dunfermline manager Jim Leishman has been appointed an honorary director and will continue to work for the club with his main focus being fund-raising, expanding corporate events and acting as a liaison with supporters groups.
Leishman is a former player, manager and director of football
As the chairmanship passes to the managing director of the UK's largest tree nursery, Yorkston will serve as chairman of the club's charitable entity, the Pars Trust.
Director Gavin Masterton told the club website: "All new board members are highly successful professionals who are willingly giving their time and energy to take the DAFC overall team forward in the future on a sound and secure basis.
"We would like to pay tribute to John Yorkston, under whose stewardship over the last 13 years has taken the club to Hampden on many occasions for semi-final and Cup final events.
"We are delighted he will continue to play such an important role in DAFC going forward."
Dunfermline state that the club's activities will be restructured into two distinct groups - the football operation managed by Black and White Limited and the non-football operations managed by East End Events Ltd - both of which are 100% subsidiaries of DAFC Ltd.
Black and White will be chaired by current director Craig McWhirter and will concentrate on "developing a strong youth-led football strategy".
East End Events Ltd will be headed by Karen Masterton and Tracey Martin, who will step down from the DAFC board to focus on non-football events.
Meanwhile, Bob Purvis added: "Purvis Group believe that DAFC has a bright future and we are looking forward to being a part of the club as it strives to return to the SPL.
"We are confident that we can add a new dimension to the business and look forward to joining the current directors in making all the facets of the club successful."
- Published8 May 2012