One of the Essex and Suffolk Border League's leading soccer clubs has been saved at the 11th hour - with help from the Evening Gazette.

St Johns FC, of Clacton, held an emergency meeting in a bid to fill vital positions on the committee.

The alternative was to fold the club which has just celebrated their 40th anniversary.

Treasurer Steve Tunnell said 14 people turned up to the clubhouse at Eastcliff - following an appeal through the Gazette - and 12 agreed to take on posts or help out.

Darren Jakeman will become first-team manager while Dave Aldred will look after the reserves.

Tunnell said all the other positions on the committee were filled.

"The response to our plea for help was excellent and those who turned up were willing to get involved which was great," he said.

"It was no idle threat that we would fold and had we not got the people to form a committee that would have been that - things were looking pretty bleak."

St Johns will play in Border League division one next season, having been relegated from the premier division. The reserves play in division three.

By Nigel Brown

Reporter's e-mail: nigel_brown@thisisessex.co.uk

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