Meet the Board

Chair

 Jim Fagan 

Jim Fagan has now been on the board of Lancashire for over four years and is very passionate about golf in the county. He is a member of Ormskirk Golf Club and was a member of Hindley Hall Golf Club for over 20 years. He is a retired business man having run a number of companies, and is a magistrate of over 16 years sitting on the Greater Manchester Bench. He has an MBA from UCLAN. 

• Over 4yrs on the LUGC Board 
• Member of Ormskirk Golf Club 
• Member of Hindley Hall Golf Club for over 22yrs 
• Magistrate for over 16yrs Greater Manchester Bench 
• Retired Businessman  
• MBA UCLAN

President

Delia Naylor 

Delia was born and brought up in Blackpool. She lived and worked in Manchester before returning to Lytham St Annes in 2001. She joined Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club that year, acquiring her first handicap there. Over the years she has represented the Club in many Golf matches, has served on the Club Council, and was Lady Captain in 2019.

She first became involved with the LLCGA in 2013, initially as Assistant Secretary, before taking on the role of Treasurer a year later. She continued in this role until becoming Vice Captain in November 2022 and Captain in November 2023. Delia has a keen interest in the rules of golf and is a level 3 referee. 

Vice President

John Pendleton 

John is a retired accountant and has been the County Treasurer from 2019 up to the time of the merger at the 2024 AGM. 

He has been Captain of both Kirkby Golf Club (1989) and Ormskirk Golf Club (2013). He has been a member of Ormskirk Golf Club for 31 years and was extremely proud in 2022 to be bestowed Honorary Membership at Ormskirk.

Golf is obviously an important part of his life and his son, daughter and some of his grandchildren all have become decent golfers.  Being involved with Lancashire Golf he feels he is giving a little back to the sport he has enjoyed so much.

Since retirement, other than golf, grandchildren, gardening and being a Parish Councillor keeps him busy.

CEO 

Stuart Leech 

Stuart has worked in golf his whole career and before starting work in his present role with the county, he was GM at a high end private members club for ten years, preceded by over 11 years working as Director of Golf at several hotel and golf resorts across the UK. He is a member of the PGA, GCMA and CMAE, and has been a fully qualified PGA Professional for thirty years. He is an Advanced Fellow PGA Manager and has a level 3 GCMA Managers designation, the highest available.  

Stuart has also been a Director of the GCMA and was a tutor in business management with the PGA for over ten years. He has coached at county and national under 16 level, was the first person to achieve the PGA Director of Golf qualification and was voted PGA Professional of the year in 2009. 

Non-Executive Director 

Margaret Milne 

Margaret was born and brought up in Liverpool.  She originally worked as a Manager in one of the largest building societies and was based in Liverpool City Centre eventually moving to Sefton Council where she headed up the team commissioning Adults and Childrens Social Care. She retired from this post in 2017.

She joined Woolton Golf Club where she became Ladies’ Captain in 1994 and Captain of the Liverpool Society of Lady Golf Captains in 2011.

She first became involved in LLCGA as the South West Shields Representative and in 2013 was elected to County Secretary. She continued  in both of these roles until she became Vice Captain in November 2021 and Captain in November 2022.

Margaret joined West Lancashire Golf Club in 1998 and served on the Ladies Golf Committee in 2018-2020  and is to be the Ladies’ Captain for 2024 and a member of the Board.

Margaret has also enjoyed playing lots of sports over the years including horse riding, squash, netball  and tennis.  She is also a professionally qualified dance teacher. 

Non-Executive Director 

Michael Lay 

Joined the original LUGC board around 2014 working with the junior squads.

In 2016 became Chair of the Course Assessment team visiting around 45 courses over a 3 year period giving each course up to date ratings for competition golf.

in 2019 I had the honour of becoming the County men’s President.

Having completed my term of office in 2020 I became the men’s County Captain which culminated in the team becoming England Golf County Champions in 2022.

in 2024  I became a non-executive member of the newly formed Lancashire Golf board.

Finance 

Colette Connell 

I worked for British Telecom for 25 years as an accountant and then senior manager for Merseyside.

I have played golf for over 30 years having been a member of West Lancashire golf club since 1992. I have been Lady Captain and Chair of West Lancashire, I am a qualified referee and I have also been involved in the County. I served on the ladies executives for four years and recently took over as the treasurer of LLCGA. 

Club Support 

Jerry Martin 

Born in Whitefield, educated in Bury and Manchester University, medical practitioner in Bury and now resident in Silverdale.  

Originally a keen cricketer, I have played golf since 1970’s. I have been a member of Stand, Breightmet, Silverdale and Royal Birkdale Golf Clubs. I have been on the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs Executive since 2013, involved in administration, course rating and boys coaching. I was President of the Union in 2022. 

I still enjoy playing competitive golf at Royal Birkdale and Silverdale and have been appointed a Regional Advisor in Course rating for England Golf in 2023, responsible for Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland. 

The picture was taken at Royal Norwich Golf Club in 2022 when Lancashire won the Men’s County Finals. 

Championships & Competitions 

John Moorcroft 

John Moorcroft was the 2023 President of the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs. He is a member of Southport and Ainsdale golf club where he was Captain in 2014. He was a member of the board of directors from 2013-2019 and was chairman from 2016-2019.

Professionally John joined the fire service in 1979 initially in his home town of Southport but he served across Merseyside as he rose through the ranks. A secondment to the fire service inspectorate followed later as he travelled the Country helping fire services improve and modernise He returned to Merseyside as Head of Community Safety before joining Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service in 2006 leading them through the serious flooding the County experienced in 2009.

John joined the LUGC board in 2014 initially to help with health and safety but has been the under 14s/15s squad manager and is a qualified referee having completed the level 2 & 3 examinations.

Golf Development and Teams 

Mark Bardsley 

Mark Bardsley joined the Board of the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs in 2018 working with the junior boys squads. He was manager of the Under 16 squad for a number of years before becoming the full time County Secretary in 2021 and served in that position for 3 years, stepping down at the end of 2023. He was part of the original team that worked on the unification of the men’s union and ladies association. He is a Handicap Advisor for the county and a level 2 qualified referee. He takes up his new position as Director of Golf on the unified Lancashire Golf Board. 

He was born in Manchester and moved to West Lancashire in his early teens. He started playing golf when he was about 8 years old and learnt his golf around Southport Municipal. Mark is the 2024 Captain of Ormskirk Golf club having been a member for 36 years, joining in 1987. He currently has a handicap index of 7. He is married to Andrea, also a golfer and member at Ormskirk and has 3 children, 2 daughters and a son and 6 grand children. 

Mark had a successful career working in Financial Services and spent 11 years of his professional life living and working abroad, setting up and running consumer credit businesses in the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia. He retired in 2017. 

He is a loyal Manchester United fan and a long-standing season ticket holder at Old Trafford. 

Policies, Procedures & England Golf Voting 

Julie Walker 

Julie is a retired Operations Director and has a wealth of experience in strategic decision-making, coaching and compliance.

A member of Accrington & District Golf Club since 1990, Lady Captain in 1996 & 2017; served as a Director from 2018-202 with responsibility for policy, compliance, recruitment and governance.

Currently LLCGA Junior Organiser, a position she has held for the last 7 years; Julie and the Junior Committee have developed a dynamic talent pathway that has produced both individual and team success.

In 2022 Julie was nominated as LLCGA England Golf Voting Member, a role that has responsibility for policy, safeguarding and compliance.