Following Rob Bickerton's appointment as Managing Director some fans have enquired about Chief Executive Steve Wellbeloved's role. Shrewsweb has caught up with Steve to get the answers.

Isn't there an overlap between your roles?

No, not at all. My role was to get the stadium completed, the Club moved and initial operations underway. Rob has a much larger and longer term role to work with the Chairman in getting the Club promoted. So my role is drawing to a close, whereas Rob's role in seizing all of the opportunities created by the new stadium is really only just beginning.

Does that mean you're leaving?

Yes, my transitional role is coming to an end, so I'm standing down as part of a phased process. I may still be around now and then as Rob and the Chairman have mentioned a few things they might like me to look at on an ad-hoc basis, so don't get the flags out just yet.

Do you think your time at the Club has been successful?

Yes. Certainly in terms of the headline brief of getting the stadium finished, open and initial operations up and running. There have also been quite a lot of other important successes behind these headlines. In fact one of my regrets is that there's been so much to do that it hasn't been possible to keep everyone as informed about progress as I'd have liked, but the Club is making big strides forward in a whole range of areas. Ultimately we're a football Club so football results matter and we all know it's been a tough time of late, but in terms of putting down foundations in the off-pitch business we've moved a long way in a short time.

Of course there are frustrations too. Just one little example is getting a pedestrian gate by the railway footpath (something which we may finally be close to resolving). It seems simple, so I can well understand why I get aggrieved letters and emails about it. But behind the scenes this is a great example of all the factors at play. There has been a major issue to do with the footpath itself and I've been involved in numerous meetings with planning advisers, lawyers, council officers, councillors, architects, builders and even the Ramblers Association. Thankfully all that's over now and late in December the legal paperwork went through to confirm its route, level and dimensions (yes lots of people did come more than once to measure it!). Then we had the railway authorities wanting us to pay tens of thousands of pounds to re-fence the railway because fans were among those using the public footpath. Again, that's now been resolved and they've put a fence up. At one point the Council also wanted the Club to pay to sort out the flooding problem in the underpass, despite the fact that we don't own that land or share their statutory obligation to maintain public footpaths. Meanwhile, of course, we already have a large gate in the fence, but the Safety Advisory Group, on Police advice, have reasons not to permit its use by fans.

This is all part and parcel of the job and it makes successes even sweeter. However, I'm disappointed when some jump to the conclusion that apparent lack of progress on an issue is because staff at the Club are a bunch of muppets (although I also confess I may have muttered it from the Riverside occasionally in the dim and distant past!). In reality, there are some very capable and dedicated people working very hard with limited resources, but the involvement of so many third parties in football means things are very seldom as straightforward as they seem. That's something I'll not miss!

What are you planning to do next?

That's very easy to answer. When I came into the Club I did it as a fan who wanted to use some relevant experience to help out. So I did it on a semi-voluntary basis alongside an agreement that I would also continue with some of my businesses. I don't think any of us realised just how many issues were going to need attention, so in the end I've put a lot of hours into stadium matters and neglected my businesses and family. So now I'll be restoring that balance. Hopefully that'll include watching matches with my sons as I used to on the Riverside. I'll just have to remember I'm not supposed to stand up, as the inspectors certainly know my face and I can't pretend I don't know the regulations!

Has it been interesting?

Yes, very much so. My background meant I knew some of what to expect. However, I think it's probably hard for anyone on the outside to realise the sheer weight of rules, regulations and bureaucracy, as well as financial pressures. Also the inevitable growing pains as the Club becomes quite a sizeable and multi-faceted business compared to what was a simpler and matchday-only operation at Gay Meadow. It meant we didn't have much infrastructure in place and we're still only just starting to build what will be needed as the Club moves forward.

Football's also fascinating - in most other businesses if you 'pull a lever' you pretty much know what will happen. In football, you do that and it's just as likely that the complete opposite will happen. Or even nothing at all. Luck also plays a big part and you can't manage that uncertainty out to the extent you can in some enterprises. But then I guess the surprises are why we keep coming back to watch matches.

It's also been interesting to work for the Chairman. Previously, as a fan, if we lost on Saturday I'd usually get over it on Sunday. But it means so much to Roland that he's still hurting the following week and trying everything he can to move the Club on. I think most people are complimentary about their boss when they start a job and then slag them off when they leave. I'm probably quite the opposite in that I was sometimes quite critical from an ill-informed viewpoint, whereas now, having seen what I've seen, I'm full of admiration. Most people might pause after delivering a stadium like this, especially given the opposition encountered. Instead he's focused on the next stage and has brought someone like Rob in at the top level to put his foot on the accelerator.

The Chairman has asked Shrewsweb to add the following footnote to this interview:

"Very few people will know the sheer amount of hard work Steve has done and the incredible hours he's worked on very important issues. It's well beyond what any of us expected at the outset and we are very grateful for it. Steve knows that I'd like him to stay on full time, but equally I realise he needs to be spending more time in his own businesses and with his family. We've reluctantly accepted that, but I think it's very important to publicly record our thanks. There are still things that Rob and I think Steve can do to help the Club, so we'll be picking up the phone as and when they arise."