‘I needed to be here full-time’ – Crawley Town announce return of chairman as co-chairman steps down

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Crawley Town have announced that Preston Johnson will return to the position of chairman after a brief time away.

He will resume the role that he played for the past two years as the club enjoyed one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in recent EFL history and secured promotion to League One.

In addition to his responsibilities as chairman, Johnson will also assume the role of CEO and oversee all day-to-day business and football operations at the Broadfield Stadium — in partnership with first team manager Scott Lindsey, general manager Tom Allman and club staff — and will do so with the full support and approval of the WAGMI United board of directors.

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To position himself and the club for success in this new role, Johnson and his family plan to relocate to the Crawley area full-time in the months ahead.

Crawley Town have announced that Preston Johnson will return to the position of chairman after a brief time awayCrawley Town have announced that Preston Johnson will return to the position of chairman after a brief time away
Crawley Town have announced that Preston Johnson will return to the position of chairman after a brief time away

Johnson said: “The high of winning at Wembley was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.

“But after spending much of the past two years away from my family in California as I dedicated so much time to the club, we made a decision that it would be best for me to step away from my day-to-day role as co-chairman for the health and happiness of all of us.

“However, 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 — both on and off the pitch — and do everything I can to help us create sustainable success at the League One level and beyond.

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“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.

“I look forward to deepening my work with Scott, Tom and our amazing club staff, and empowering them with the tools they need to continue moving the club forward, and my family is excited to join me on this journey.”

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Adding to that presence on the ground will be Ben Levin, who will serve as a vice-chair and focus on growing the club’s commercial revenue, fan relationships, and gameday experience.

Levin is an active board member of WAGMI United and was able to spend considerable time with the club over the past year, building relationships with members of the staff and CTFC community.

Levin said: “There is so much to build on after a captivating and thrilling run last season.

“Our journey became a uniting factor for fans, sponsors, the Foundation, and the broader Crawley community.

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“I look forward to building on all of those relationships, and growing our turnover so that we can continue to keep the playing squad competitive as we move to the League One level.”

While he will remain as a co-owner, Eben Smith has stepped away from his role as co-chairman and will no longer be actively involved in day-to day club operations.

Johnson said: “On behalf of the CTFC community, I want to thank Eben for his incredible efforts in support of the club over the past two years.

“While his contributions may not always have been visible from the outside, Eben has played an essential role in all of our successes on and off the pitch, and we would not have won promotion without his countless hours of hard work.

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“He has been a fantastic partner and friend to me and a tireless advocate for the club and the Crawley community, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best as he transitions to this next phase.”

The club looks forward to holding a media availability and fan forum with Johnson in coming weeks. More details to follow.

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