Former football league referee and retired chief executive of Cambridgeshire FA, Roger Pawley, has been voted in as the new chairman at the county FA’s at the first council meeting of the new season.

Pawley succeeds Bill Coad, who has retired after 18 years in the role.

Having served as Vice-Chairman for the past three years, Pawley was the natural successor to Bill Coad, whose work in developing the association since 1996 was the subject of many tributes at the meeting.

Pawley originally joined the county FA in 1977 and served as its first full-time secretary from 1995 until his retirement in 2010, when Chris Pringle became chief executive.

In 2009, he was elected as FA representative for the county and is now a regular visitor to Wembley on football business, including disciplinary and refereeing matters.

Relishing his new role, Pawley said: “Bill Coad’s chairmanship will be a hard act to follow but, working with Phil Hill, I will give my 100 per cent commitment in a number of key areas of the game.

“Firstly, we will support Chris Pringle and his excellent staff at headquarters running the game; secondly, we will work to increase participation, particularly in adult 11v11 football; thirdly, we need to increase referee numbers and build on the successes of local referees who have been promoted to higher leagues; fourthly, we will continue the development of facilities – grounds and changing rooms – in the county; and finally, we must commit to improving respect and discipline and ensure the game is played in the best possible way.”

The Council of the Cambridgeshire Football Association comprises a body of elected members drawn from various sectors of the game including the districts and the leagues of the county and is responsible for running the game in Cambridgeshire.