Football Queensland Wide Bay boss announces sudden departure

FOOTBALL Queensland Wide Bay is on the hunt for a new chairman after Stuart Taylor stepped down.

MOVING ON: Football Queensland Wide Bay chairman Stuart Taylor has resigned from his role and will be replaced at the next board meeting. Picture: Matthew McInerney

FOOTBALL: Football Queensland Wide Bay is on the hunt for a new chairman after Stuart Taylor stepped down.

The NewsMail can reveal Taylor made the decision last week after serving as the head of the organisation for more than half a decade.

Taylor will still stay on the board, until the end of the season, before moving on.

The decision was also confirmed by Football Queensland.

"I've been doing it for a while," he said.

"It's taken away from my family time.

"It's time for me to move on."

Taylor said spending more time with his family was one of a couple of reasons for leaving. He will still remain a councillor with the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

The other was that clubs, members and others did not share the same vision as him.

"Fundamentally I believe the zone (Football Queensland Wide Bay) should do two things," he said.

"Administer the game and the draws for it and provide a player pathway to higher levels for the region, which would be Football Queensland Premier League.

"But from my observations the rep program including the Buccaneers was not a supporting pathway."

The Wide Bay Buccaneers were created in 2017 to provide a pathway for Wide Bay players to play in the Football Queensland Premier League and one day head to the National Premier League and the A-League.

The side has not been able to be successful in seniors, failing to win a game last year in the Football Queensland Premier League, and being forced to withdraw from this year's competition.

But the juniors have been a resounding success with the under-15s making the finals last year and the under-14s and under-16s on track to do it this year.

The Skill Acquisition Program has also been created, through the Buccaneers, to get the next bunch of talent from under-7 to under-10 ready for the next level. Taylor hopes these programs can stay.

"My desire is to see the pathway remain," he said.

"Seeing the under-9s, under-10s and under-12s in action we have amazing talent coming through. "We also have lots of parents and children committed to the program.

"From my perspective we have a five-year license (from Football Queensland) with the Buccaneers and I hope it should remain that way."

Taylor said he hoped no one remembers him at the helm.

Instead, he hopes the actions done can lead to success in the future. "I don't particularly want to be remembered for my time as chairman," he said.

"In 15 years time I hope to be at a pub or a friends' house and watching a young player play for Australia and I can say 'I was a part of making that happen.'"

Taylor will be replaced at the next board meeting by Football Queensland Wide Bay.

Originally published as Football Queensland Wide Bay boss announces sudden departure