Ex-Leeds man on Walsall board

Former Leeds United vice-chairman Peter Gilman has emerged as a new face on the board at Walsall.

Gilman, who was on the Elland Road board in the 1990s, is a long-time friend of Saddlers chairman Jeff Bonser and has now been confirmed as a director.

The property developer was involved in Walsall's move from Fellows Park to the Banks's Stadium in 1990 and his current firm also helped build the new Floors-2-Go Stand.

His former company, Denglen, was involved in the construction of the stadium and the redevelopment of the Fellows Park site as a supermarket.

Denglen was effectively Walsall's landlord when the club moved to the Bescot site before Denglen went into administration, leaving Bonser to take over.

Gilman left Leeds before the takeover by the Peter Ridsdale regime, which has since been blamed for the club's slide from the Champions League to the foot of League One.

But he is now back in football with a seat alongside Bonser, Richard Tisdale, Clive Welch, Roy Whalley, Nigel Bond and Stefan Gamble on the Saddlers board.

Bonser said: "Peter is a long-standing friend of mine and a long-standing supporter of the club.

"He is a valuable member of the board."

Bonser confirmed that Gilman, who now runs GMI Construction, joined the board last September.