

Chairman Gary Tinkler

Chairman Gary Tinkler

I'm Gary Tinkler and I'm the Roman Rangers YFC Chairman.
I have been with Roman Rangers since 2015, initially as a Dad watching my son train with Tony Rawles and Jo Friday. I was a friend of one of the other Managers in the club who advised that Tony was running sessions for kids of my sons then age and to bring him down. It was the same friend who advised Jo that I was an ex Semi Pro - football player, so Jo decided to ask after only the second training session if I was interested in coaching.
Since that moment I never looked back. Having had such a great experience of grassroots football with Stafford Falcons in Stafford, where I grew up, I always knew I wanted to give something back to football, so I accepted the role as Manager of my sons U7 side.
Only a few weeks later as the season was about to kick off, the club held a committee meeting with all the managers, so I attended to get a feel for what I had let myself in for, it was then I saw that there was only 5 or 6 committee members running this well-established club. They were doing so much with so little, So, after I asked if they needed any additional support…. To which they accepted with open arms.
After the first season, the then club secretary stepped down and the Chairman asked if I was up for taking this on. Having been a part of some great clubs and with secretary’s being so influential on how things are run in the clubs I have been a part of, it was a huge honour and step up but one that I felt I could do to help shape the future not only of the club but all the players, parents, managers and coaches that I could help, guide and support.
It’s been challenging for sure, but with the football history I have, it's certainly helped me and I hope others of Roman Rangers to make it what the club stands for today with our philosophy. I have been fortunate to drive the club forward in establishing the girls training sessions that have been running for a number of years now, and we have also hit a milestone of our first Girls team playing in an organised league within the MK / Bedford area. We are also working to find a more permanent home for the club.