DEVOTED Salisbury City supporter Mark Winter and Moroccan businessman Otail Touzar have been announced as the new owners of the club.

The consortium completed the deal late last night at the CGA with outgoing chairman William Harrison-Allan.

Winter, who religiously follows the club home and away, has every confidence that the two can drive the club forward.

“I’m very passionate about the club and fortunately I was in a position to be able to do something,” he said.

“Things need to be done in a sensible way on and off the pitch,” added Winter, who is the managing director of Southampton-based company Aqua Pacific.

“I’m not going into detail about the investment, but Touzar is the major investor and I’ll be running the business on a day-to-day basis.

“I have every confidence that between us we have the knowledge and resources to ensure the stability of Salisbury.”

“Things aren’t going to change with me, I’ll still be coaching Salisbury City under 11s and spending time with my family and fiancée Michaela Menzel.”

On-going financial difficulties saw City suffer a double demotion in 2010 but were bailed out of administration by Harrison-Allan, who fronted a consortium.

His financial backing helped the Whites return to Conference Premier last season after a three-year absence.

But the ex-chairman told the Journal last month that it wasn’t financially viable to fund Salisbury solely and an investor was needed to secure the club’s future.

Winter expressed an interest in investing and was recommended, by a friend who’s an international footballer for Malta, to get in touch with Dubai-based entrepreneur Touzar.

Following discussions, the businessmen fought-off competition from a rival bidder to secure 100 per cent ownership of the club.

Otail said: “I am happy to be involved with Salisbury and want to thank my partner (Mark Winter) and everyone who made this possible.”

“This is just a first transaction of a series of major football club investment deals in various countries currently being processed and to be announced over the course of the summer.

"I look forward to working with all club stakeholders to ensure a bright and sustainable future for the Salisbury City FC."

Don’t miss the Journal's exclusive interviews with Winter and Harris in Thursday’s paper.

• The club have announced two pre-season fixtures at home. Nigel Adkins’s Reading are visiting the Ray Mac on July 19, which is followed by AFC Wimbledon three days later.