Crawley Town have announced that co-chairman Preston Johnson will step down from his role at the club for personal reasons but will remain as co-owner.
The Reds have just celebrated promotion to English football’s third tier, beating Crewe Alexandra 2-0 in the League Two play-off final at Wembley.
American Johnson acquired Crawley in April 2022, together with Eben Smith, under the name WAGMI United, the US cryptocurrency investment company that had previously unsuccessfully attempted to buy Bradford City.
They endured a tough first full season, losing three managers and coming close to relegation from League Two.
Current manager Scott Lindsay took over in January 2023 and led the Sussex side to sixth place this season and promotion via the play-offs, despite many predicting relegation from the Football League.
“The last two years have been the craziest of my life, I’ve experienced the lowest of lows and the highest of highs,” Johnson said in a statement on the club’s website.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me and the club throughout this journey. I will never forget it.”
“While I will no longer be involved in the day-to-day running of the club, I will continue to support the club in my capacity as owner and encourage Scott and the team as they strive to build on our success in League One next season.”
Smith will continue in his role as co-chairman and will work with general manager Tom Allman and staff to manage the club’s operations.
