Chief executive Rob Heys has called for an end to the war of words raging behind the scenes at Accrington Stanley FC.
Non-executive chairman Ilyas Khan and managing director David O’Neill have had a long-running difference of opinion on how the club should be run, following the £308,000 tax debts last November that almost forced the club to be wound up.
Khan paid off the debt and is now in talks with the Accrington Stanley fans to set up a Community Trust to run the club.
The Accrington-born millionaire also said he looks to Heys for the day-to-day running of the club following a board meeting after the Macclesfield game where Khan asked O’Neill to step down from that role but stay at the club as a director.
However O’Neill, who has been involved in a long-running saga to buy former chairman Eric Whalley’s 51 per cent shares in the Reds, issued a statement this week saying he is continuing in his managing director’s role at the Crown Ground.
The statement said: "Following the recent public discussions involving Accrington Stanley Football Club Ltd, the club are now looking to internally resolve the many issues that have arisen over the past couple of weeks.
"It is the club’s full intention to issue a detailed press release outlining the situation in its entirety, as soon as all outstanding matters have been legally resolved. During this time, Robert Heys will continue in his role as chief executive officer while continuing to work alongside managing director David O’Neill who will concentrate on the legal matters that have arisen.
"The club has been instructed by its shareholders to call an AGM as early as possible in October and will announce this to all shareholders once the date is set.
"The club asks all of our supporters to remain focused on events on the field and continue to give the fabulous support to John Coleman and his team on what is our best start to date to a new season."
However Heys just wants an end to the public disputes: "It’s not fair on anyone - the players, the staff at the club, the supporters and everyone involved with the club.
"Everyone is almost fed up of hearing about it and it is putting the club in the public eye for the wrong reasons when there is so much good going on and off the pitch. It is difficult enough running a football club, especially mid-season, and it a shame this is overshadowing our good start to the season.
"Issues need to be resolved now - and resolved quickly as it has gone on for long enough."
