YORK City chairman John Batchelor has appointed the club's first chief executive, promoting secretary Keith Usher to the role.

"He has been doing the job of secretary for a long time and I felt he just needed some recognition," explained Batchelor.

"As secretary, Keith already pretty much runs the club on a day-to-day basis but his new title means he will have a greater involvement in more of the strategic decisions at the club.

"He has a huge amount of experience and we wanted to draw on that and reward him for his loyalty to the club."

Usher is a former policeman and former secretary of the York Football Association.

He was appointed club secretary in 1987, succeeding Tom Hughes to the post.

Updated: 09:05 Friday, May 24, 2002