Accrington owner Holt to step down as chairman

Andy Holt has been owner of Accrington Stanley since 2015

Accrington Stanley owner Andy Holt is to step down as the club's chairman towards the end of 2025.

Holt will continue to support the club, but he will step back from the day-to-day running of things.

David Burgess will become Accrington's chairman, while Warren Eastham is to take up the role of chief executive officer.

Holt told the club's website: "These changes future-proof our club, as age takes its toll.

"In any successful business, you need progression, and nowhere is it more important than football."

'No longer lagging amongst peers'

Burgess will assume the role of vice-chairman on 1 January, working alongside Holt on all football-related matters, working with the first-team manager and the club's academy staff, while Eastham will take the lead on commercial matters.

It is then Holt's intention to step away later in the year to allow Burgess to become chairman.

Holt, now 60, has been the owner of Accrington since October 2015 and became chairman less than 12 months later when previous incumbent Peter Marsden stepped down.

During Holt's tenure, Accrington were promoted to League One in 2018, but after five years in the third tier, Stanley were relegated in 2023 and currently sit 20th in League Two.

Accrington have always operated with a small playing budget and have punched above their weight, while Holt has been an outspoken figure, never afraid to speak his mind on all issues.

These included his controversial decision to dismiss long-standing manager John Coleman in March this year, for which he said he had been too loyal.

Off the pitch, much work has gone on behind the scenes to improve facilities at Wham Stadium, including a new pitch and stands, and he describes the club as being in a "great place".

"Accrington Stanley is no longer a lagging club amongst peers; it's a leading club, with all the ingredients for a great future, delivering for the town and its folk, long after the current crew is gone," he said.

"I'm looking forward to watching its stable development with pride."