14/12/04 - He always spoke out against drugs
Basildon Echo

THE director of Basildon Football Club said today he was pleased the club could now move on after former vice-chairman Kim Webber's conviction. The club lost about £20,000 in sponsorship and parents removed their children from the youth teams after the police raid and arrests last year.

John Moran, 54, a director at the Gardiners Lane club, was arrested as part of the operation before having charges dropped. He now hopes the club can rebuild its reputation for passionate sportspeople in Basildon. He said: "We are pleased that this is now over because even though nothing was found, you always get the innuendo against the club.

The police searched here for a couple of days but no drugs were discovered. Webber was not arrested here but someone tipped police off about his connections."But Mr Moran, a father of six, said he was surprised by Webber's lengthy sentence.

He said: "I guess that will teach him. It is what you should get for dealing in drugs. He was a member at the club and managed to get himself elected onto one of the committees. "I would never have guessed that he would have been involved in such a drugs conspiracy. "In fact, at the football club he was always verbally against drugs and drug-taking." Webber was still involved with the club until days after his arrest when the committee ejected him.