Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous has put his future in the hands of supporters, saying he is prepared to continue as long as the fans want him to.
Kleanthous suffered verbal abuse from a small group of supporters at an away match recently, but has stated he won't allow them to force him out of the club if the vast majority want him to continue. He said: “I have no intention of walking away providing the supporters back me. I need to know the majority are behind me.
“I'm not talking about 51 per cent or 52 per cent but 80 or 90 per cent. I need to know I'm wanted here I thrive on that, it's very important to me.
“When I came to the club the doors were hanging off the hinges and I knew that it would be a tough proposition. After six or seven years we've got the place as good as we can, the crowds have held up and we've kept the squad together. The squad we now have is the same one that led the division for a couple of months last season.
“We've also spent £600,000 on players in two years and the one thing that is holding us back is the stadium. I need to know that I have a chance to make the club as professional as I can. But I have no intention of leading the fans somewhere they do not want to go.
“If they don't like the direction I want to take the club in I will step down.”
Kleanthous has invested a lot in trying to get Barnet promoted. A string of big name managers, including Ray Clemence, Alan Mullery and most recently Tony Cottee, have all come and gone without being able to deliver it.
Watching his side struggle badly this season has hit him hard, but Kleanthous is determined to rebuild.
He said: “Since becoming chairman it has taken a heavy toll both from a financial and personal perspective. I just want to know people are behind me.”
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