There was little on-pitch action to steady the fluttering hearts of Robins fans on Saturday, when the team cemented another loss with a one-nil home defeat against League Two newcomers Barnet. The scoreline confirmed the fifth straight defeat since the season began earlier this month and ensured the club, at five games in and with just one goal scored, remained rooted to the bottom of the table.

Manager Michael Flynn – against whom calls for resignation are now reaching a crescendo – said after Saturday's showdown on Whaddon Road: "The bottom line is we've lost all five and I'll take responsibility for that, we need to start picking up results."

But the scoreline followed more upbeat news from the club's Board of Directors with the confirmation, as initially reported in Punchline-Gloucester.com back in June that businessman Mike Garlick has secured a controlling interest in the Club "combined with a commitment for future investment".

An initial statement added: "The Board believes that fans and all the Club's stakeholders can look forward with increased optimism and excitement for the future of the Robins."

Mr Garlick wasted no time on Saturday to issue a front-foot message of support for Michael Flynn, stating: "I've been in football a long time, I've had other managers that have been beaten five times in a row and we've stuck with them and turned it around - that's what we're hoping to do."

But with optimism in short supply on the terraces, how much authority does the new owner bring as a steadying entity? The short answer lies in relevance: at 61, the Robins have acquired a seasoned figure in football. With Mr Garlick having entered a period of exclusivity with the contender back in July, his prospects of ownership are backed by some winningly impressive paperwork.

As the former chairman of Burnley, he spent 17 years on the board there, during which the club saw promotion two times to the Premier League. Mr Garlick also owns St Joseph's FC in Gibraltar which qualified for the Europa Conference League for three years running since he acquired it, in 2022. Football clearly runs through his veins, but as a businessman, he built his success through a trailblazing career in management consultancy.

Back in 1989, Mr Garlick founded Michael Bailey Associates (MBA) from a small office in London with just two people and he remains as CEO of this global recruitment firm which has flourished to the extent that it now has 900 staff operating across a global network of offices, delivering consultancy and resource solutions to some of the world's biggest players in IT and technology, life sciences, finance and energy renewables.

Beyond MBA, Companies House listings for Garlick, who is married with two children, cite 20 active and past appointments, including active directorship of the Everlasting Home Company, the computer programming venture Metroyard and Lancashire-based real estate operation Longside Properties.

Ahead of hopes to turn scorelines around in the foothills of this season, Mr Garlick, who is appointed to the Board alongside his wife Alison, has been quick to set out his vision for the club – his key word being "sustainability".

Mr Garlick said: "I want to make sure we've still got a club here and it's thriving, it's sustainable. If it's in League Two, League One it's not a problem as long as we've expanded the club, people are still coming along to the games and it's part of the community."

He added: "If we get higher than that it would be amazing, but let's go step by step, week by week, season by season."

Reinforcing his faith in the appointment, CTFC Chairman David Bloxham said: "For some time now Cheltenham Town has operated within limited financial and practical restraints. Whilst the Club is generally regarded to have outperformed its resources it has been a source of frustration that we have been unable to undertake significant improvements to facilities and infrastructure or retain our best staff."

He added: "Mike Garlick brings with him a great deal of football knowledge and experience which I am confident will bring significant benefits and growth to our Club."