DEPARTING chairman Ken Stewart insisted a clean sweep at Wimborne Town would be the “best way forward” for the Dorset club.

Stewart was speaking after it had emerged the Cuthbury outfit had been taken over by a consortium headed by former chairperson Paula Henley.

As a result, the existing board at the Southern League outfit, including Stewart and five other directors, had all offered their respective resignations.

Local businesswoman Henley was first appointed chairperson in September 2014 but stepped down just five months later due to personal circumstances.

Stewart said it would be Henley’s remit to discuss the make-up of the new board and anticipated she would be issuing a statement in the next few days.

The Magpies have experienced a trying season both on and off the pitch and are currently eight points clear of the Division One South & West relegation zone.

Stewart told the Daily Echo last night: “We have actively been seeking people to invest for a number of months and today managed to secure a positive future for the football club.

“It is a takeover by a consortium led by ex-chairperson Paula Henley and I believe it to be the best way forward for the club.

“In the past 16 years since I have been involved, we have taken Wimborne Town into the Southern League and I feel we have done our bit.

“It is now time – and I believe the right time – to stand aside and give the reins to others who have the ideas, effort, drive and financial backing to put Wimborne Town on a footing and push the club forward, probably to a higher level. We wish the new board well.”

Stewart, who said he would continue to support club, reluctantly accepted the resignation of Steve Cuss as manager in November following a poor start to the season.

Cuss, who was also a shareholder in the club, has offered his resignation as a director along with finance director Ken Fergus, Tony Grant, Steve Harvey and Dennis Cadd who will step down unless they are invited to stay on by the new owners.

A statement on the club’s official website confirmed Henley had rejoined the board “with immediate effect”.

Part of the statement read: “The current board will be offering to stand down immediately but, for ease of transition to the new management, will continue to fulfil their roles for as long as Paula wishes.

“ We feel that we have taken Wimborne Town as far as we can. We have always said that we would be prepared, in the best interests of the club, to stand aside if someone else wanted to take on the challenge of continuing to keep Wimborne Town one of the premier non-league clubs in the area.

“We give Paula and her consortium our best wishes for taking our great club forward. Paula has said that one of her first actions will be to organise a supporters’ forum to explain her thoughts for the club in more detail."

On the pitch, Wimborne suffered a 5-2 home defeat at the hands of AFC Totton on Tuesday with James Stokoe and new signing Mark Ford on target.