Newport County are on the brink of revolution at board level and it’s incredibly sad that what could, and should, have been an amicable changing of the guard has descended into farce.

As detailed in our exclusive story today, there remains a very real prospect of financial aid being provided to the club as they bid to really make a push for the big time in their first season at Rodney Parade.

I use the term financial aid, because investment would be misleading, this is non-league football and no one dipping their hand in their pocket is likely to see any sort of return.

This column – contrary to what some people who leave comments seem to think – is a forum for my views and like anyone else with an interest in seeing the Exiles flourish, I would, of course, welcome increased revenue and funds for players with open arms.

However, there shouldn’t be a situation where in order for that to be achieved, the present chairman Chris Blight is subjected to abuse and smears on his character that are completely without basis and woefully ill-informed.

Any true Newport County supporter should feel absolutely mortified about the chairman and his partner receiving abusive phone calls. And any fan who has condemned him based on hearsay should feel equally ashamed.

Let us not pretend that Chris Blight and I have some kind of bond in which I would defend him even if such a defence wasn’t merited.

Off the top of my head I remember falling out hugely with Mr Blight after the Ian Hillier sacking.

I was equally quick to criticise when the club took it upon themselves to sack players shortly before Peter Beadle’s appointment and, indeed, over the manner of Beadle’s sacking.

I was also the journalist who revealed that departed manager Dean Holdsworth felt that not enough was done to keep him, all stories which caused distress to Blight and led to dips in our professional relationship.

Simply put, I think at times Chris Blight and the County board have made big mistakes, and appointing Anthony Hudson by committee, when the chairman never really wanted him, would also count in that column. I was never a fan of his claim that the Exiles shouldn’t be “wallowing” in the Blue Square South either.

Assessing Blight’s legacy as chairman will depend entirely on your point of view, some viewing him as a safe pair of hands and others, particularly his internet critics, seeing him as a failure and taking issue with him personally.

The truth, if I may be so bold, lies somewhere in the middle, but what is absolutely irrefutable is that Chris Blight is an honourable, hard working and decent man who does not deserve to have abusive phone calls made to his home on a Sunday evening.

That kind of hostility is something I would associate with a club bottom of the league and in peril, not a club in the middle of a pre-season who have just moved to a new ground.

Blight has been a driving force behind the switch to Rodney Parade and that may well end up as his legacy if he resigns as chairman, which I think he will.

Put bluntly, Blight is under a strain I’ve never seen before and even his biggest allies associated with the club are concerned for him.

Internet messageboards are by and large a wonderful place for fans to exchange views and one of my most hated words ‘banter’, but they can also be dangerous places when so much credence and momentum can be built based on partially or totally inaccurate information.

That has been the case in recent days because, as our story outlines, the accusation that Blight ignored potential financial assistance is completely false.

Similarly, the chairman has stated categorically to me that he will happily step aside if it is in the best interests of the club. Blight has been accused of a lack of communication and transparency, but again, I fail to see how this accusation is accurate. Two Trust members sit in on every board meeting and the club’s books, detailing all finances, are open to them for scrutiny.

Blight has taken it upon himself to write lengthy communications to fans, but that again is something he’s been criticised for. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The mantra of the well-meaning chairman.

For ten years Blight has given his all to the club. It’s all very well to point out his shortcomings – by his own admission he doesn’t have an O level in football club management – but he’s also put his time and money into the club for a decade and today he must be wondering why he bothered?

Remember, Chris Blight never even wanted to be County chairman, he was given the role because none of the other directors who rescued a club in £200,000 worth of debt wanted to take on the responsibilty.

Chris Blight has represented the club for ten years and by and large he’s been a credit to himself and to the hard working volunteers who are the lifeblood of Newport County AFC.

Whatever direction the club goes in that should never be forgotten.