FORMER club director Mike Brown has taken over from John Lacy as chairman of York City’s Supporters’ Trust.

Lacy has stepped down from the board following 18 months at the helm, which included the Golden Share Proposal vote that saw Trust members reject a move to relinquish their 25 per cent stake in the club and make City chairman Jason McGill the sole shareholder.

Outgoing chief Lacy notified the Trust board of his intention to step down in April, but has remained in post for two months to ensure a smooth transition.

The Trust board subsequently unanimously appointed Brown as the next chairman.

Speaking of his departure, Lacy said: “The past 18 months have been a challenging and often frustrating time for both the Supporters’ Trust and the football club.

However, in recent months, there has been a strong and positive resurgence for the Trust in its vital role as guardians of the club.

“As a fan of nearly 70 years, I’m proud to have served the club’s supporters as Trust chairman and will look back on this time with great fondness. I would like to thank the Trust board and members for the fantastic support they have given me during this time.”

Along with serving on the club board for 18 months following the Trust’s takeover of the Minstermen in 2003, Brown was also a founding director of the fans’ body and is an award-winning digital marketing consultant.

On his appointment, Brown added: “Firstly, on behalf of the board, I would like to thank John for his sterling effort and commitment to the Supporters’ Trust in recent years. It has been a privilege to work with him.

“I would also like to thank my Trust board colleagues for putting their faith in me to help steer us through the next chapter in the Trust’s history. We have a lot of challenging work to do, but I’m sure their dedication, passion and support will help to deliver positive change and a brighter future for the club.”

Brown has outlined five Trust’s priorities for the next 12 months.

They are: 1) Build bridges with the club board to help meet our common goals; 2) Work with fans, professional bodies and experts to deliver a clear vision and plan for the football club’s future; 3) Ensure that the Trust meets its contractual obligations as we transition into the new stadium; 4) Increase Trust engagement in the local community through improved communications, events and outreach; 5) Build a contingency fund through a comprehensive marketing and fundraising plan.