A statement from the Chairman, Kenny Amor.

With great regret, I must announce today that I will be stepping down as club Chairman and removing myself from the Board of Directors with immediate effect. I have taken this decision due to my position becoming untenable. I have made a great error in judgement and feel it is only right for the Football Club that, as a result, I step down from my position as Chairman.

In February of this year, I was called into an FA investigation regarding potential betting misconduct and, in the past week, I have learned that I will be charged with misconduct for a breach of FA betting rules. I do not know the outcome of the charge at this stage but have admitted my guilt and will await the result of the FA hearing.

I am aware that all FA misconduct is published and so I feel it is only right for me to come out ahead of this charge and step down from my role. I also feel it is right to offer something of an explanation to those connected to both myself and the Football Club.

I joined the football world from a retail background and had always been someone who, as a supporter, got enjoyment and was more invested in a game by betting on it. My mistake was to continue betting on football matches during the past eight years that I have been working in football. I went from someone who casually placed football accumulators over a weekend, to someone who found himself betting every day in any league all over the world. 

Over the past few years, betting for me had clearly become a problem. It isn’t until your gambling life is laid out in front of you that this becomes clear. I have already found some comfort in this situation by stopping all forms of betting for the past four months. My quick rise within football is no excuse as I clearly should have been more aware of the rules and I should have adjusted accordingly but, I guess like all people who get addicted to things, I needed a sharp wake-up call for me to change.

I would like to apologise to my family, colleagues, and the Eastleigh supporters for letting them down. I hope once I have received the outcome of the FA hearing that there might be a pathway for me to continue my work in football as I feel I have more to offer having already made an impact at my club, devoting so much of my time and energy into it.

I will be making no further comment on the situation at this time.

Kenny Amor