Newly-elected chairman Clive Ricks believes he will be able to work with the MP Sports Cherwell League executive members who launched a scathing attack on him in the election build-up.

A band of nine executive members put their names to an open letter to clubs before the annual meeting in which they accused Ricks – among other things – of conducting his campaign in a “shameful way”.

But after clubs at the annual meeting voted 21-13 in favour of Ricks over Roger Mitty – the executive’s nomination – the new Cherwell chief said: “Experience is a very important part of the executive and people coming on with new ideas also need to be encouraged.

“Having said that, I am more than happy that I can work with my colleagues on the executive who found favour with the clubs.

“I think perhaps some elements of the campaign were not conducive to harmony, and we need to work hard so we are pulling in the right direction.”

Ricks’s campaign was built around a need for change, and he took his first steps by announcing at the meeting a series of forums for clubs to express their views on the league’s rules and constitution.

They will take place at Banbury Twenty on Tuesday, November 30, Great Brickhill on Thursday, December 2, and Abingdon Vale on Wednesday, December 8 (all 8pm).

Ricks added: “I think it was a fairly clear mandate from the clubs that they want to see some changes.

“They are not going to be rapid. I have learnt from senior management jobs I have done that the best changes are slow, and changes that people don’t notice.

“Different clubs have different agendas, and there is a feeling that the executive look more at the higher echelons.

“I am delighted that David Pryor has come on to the executive as his club, Didcot, have four teams in the lower part of the league, and Dick Giles is playing in Division 9 or whatever it is.

“They give you a more balanced viewpoint.”