Hendon Football Club announce with deep regret that the Chairman, Ivor Arbiter, died on Tuesday morning, 26 July. Mr Arbiter, who was in his mid-70s, had been ill for some time.

Ivor, a local businessman who proudly boasted of his goalkeeping exploits as a young man, became Chairman of Hendon Football Club in August 1994, saving the club from extinction. He had previously been the club�s shirt sponsor for two seasons. The Arbiter Group, a big player in the music and entertainment field, were exclusive stockists of the Fender range of guitars and the Fender logo appeared on Hendon shirts for six seasons.

In the 11 seasons of Ivor�s chairmanship, Hendon Football Club significantly raised its profile, especially through the Brent Cross Banqueting Suite which was a jointly funded project with Barnet Council.

On the field, the club enjoyed some fine moments, none more so than in November 1997, when Hendon defeated Leyton Orient in the FA Cup first round. Four consecutive appearances in the FA Cup competition proper, two of which ended in the second round, was a run of success not seen at Claremont Road for more than two decades. There were also a number of top-six finishes in the Ryman League Premier Division.

There are no plans for an immediate announcement of a new chairman. A club spokesman said, "At this time our thoughts are with his family - he leaves a wife and a daughter, plus a number of grandchildren - the football side can wait."