Crawley chairman Johnson back after change of heart

Johnson failed in a bid to buy Bradford City before moving for Crawley

Crawley Town chairman Preston Johnson has returned to the role just over a month after stepping down.

The American, who bought the club alongside Eben Smith in April 2022, initially announced he would leave the role but remain a co-owner in May.

But upon his return, he will assume greater responsibility as chief executive officer (CEO) and head of football operations.

Johnson relinquished his position for family reasons - but now says he will re-locate his family from California to the Crawley area.

Co-chairman Smith, meanwhile, has stepped down from that position but will remain a co-owner of the club, with Ben Levin appointed as vice chair.

"After taking some time away to think about the future of our family and consider what lies ahead for the club, it has become clear that I still possess a passion to continue building on our considerable progress at Crawley Town," Johnson said.

"With that in mind, it became clear to all involved that I needed to be here full-time.

"In order to achieve the sustainable success we seek and to have the level of two-way communication with supporters that we desire, it's essential that we are present and embedded in the Crawley community.

"We have never wanted to be an absentee ownership group, but even with our great team on the ground, it is challenging to build a successful football club from eight time zones away."

Crawley won promotion to League One in May after a play-off final victory over Crewe Alexandra.