Name:  Sarah McKnight

Job Title:  Club Secretary

Worked at the club for:  Almost 11 years!!

What does your job involve:  I deal with all aspects of players contracts and medical insurance.  I deal with everything to do with the players really.  I also find myself talking to the Football League on a day to day basis.  Obviously I then keep the club, and the team manager up to date on any changes that might affect things that we do. 

How do you make sure you are on top of all of the information:  I obviously receive stuff regularly through all the usual channels.  That's email, phone, letters and that type of thing and I go to any seminars that may be held.  That can be fairly regular, as many as two or three a month sometimes, and the Football League hold induction days before the start of every season to make sure things are properly co-ordinated.  There are regular club secretary conferences as well, which are very useful for keeping up to date with rule changes.  We also swap ideas on how to do things which, again, can improve the way we all work.

What type of changes can we expect:  Well, the best example I can give right now is the transfer window.  We won't be able to sign players outside of the August and January windows and that will be a big change for us this year.  It's something we will need to understand and plan for.

Much difference between Conference and League football regulation wise:  Oh yes, that was horrendous.  We had all new contracts to do, everything was different, and a whole new set of regulations.  They had different rules on signing players and for loan agreements and, when I think about it, all the general day to day stuff was very different.  It feels more like familiar ground for us again because we have so much experience of the Football League.

Any other major changes for 2005/06:  One new thing for this season is that the Reserves have to play 50% of their matches in the evening.  That will mean we have to think carefully about our Reserve games, balancing evening games with any Tuesday night first team games.  Obviously we will have to get agreement with the visiting club as to which will be played at night, so it will take quite a bit of arranging.  The reason given for the change is that it's proved difficult in the past to find referees who are free in the afternoons, as most have full time jobs.

Over the course of your 11 years which managers have been easy / difficult to work for?  Ooh, that's a tricky question.  I enjoyed working with Mick Wadsworth, he was here for a while, and he was easy to get along with.  To be fair they have all been fine for me to work with.  I'm sure some people would expect Roddy was difficult but he was always fine with me.  I've got on with all the managers and I have enjoyed working with them.  When I first started there were only two other members of staff.  One lady, Joan, worked part time in accounts and then there was Jim Thorburn who basically ran the club.  So from two full time staff and one part time staff to where are now, it's a huge difference, things have grown substantially.  It's all changed for the better though.  Since the floods things have changed dramatically for the better, with the new office space, and it really is a good atmosphere to work in.