Crawley Town co-chairman Preston Johnson has announced that he will be stepping back from his position with the club for personal reasons. Despite this, he will remain a co-owner of the team. The news comes as the Reds recently secured promotion to the third tier of English football by defeating Crewe Alexandra 2-0 in the League Two play-off final at Wembley.
Johnson, an American, purchased Crawley in April 2022 alongside Eben Smith under the name WAGMI united, a US cryptocurrency investment company. The duo had previously attempted a takeover of Bradford City. Their first full season at Crawley was challenging, with the team losing three managers and narrowly avoiding relegation from League Two.
Current boss Scott Lindsey took over in January 2023 and led the team to a sixth-placed finish, securing promotion through the play-offs despite many predicting their relegation from the Football League. Johnson expressed gratitude for the support he has received during his time with the club and stated that while he will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations, he looks forward to continuing to support the team as an owner.
Eben Smith will continue in his role as co-chairman, working alongside general manager Tom Allman and the club staff to manage operations moving forward as Crawley prepares for the challenges of competing in League One next season.
