Northallerton chairman Dave Watson has decided to resign.

Watson, a taxi proprietor in the town, has held the post for the past five years, but has decided to stand down to concentrate more on his business, and had been replaced by Les Hood.

However he is going to continue to work for the club in his role of Commercial Manager and Corporate Sponsors Members Club Host.

Vice-chairman Mark Walker said: “Dave has been an incredibly enthusiastic chairman and he will continue to put the interests of Northallerton Town Football Club first.

“I have spoken to him at length and appreciate this has not been an easy decision for him. His health has not been 100 per cent recently and obviously he needs to put his business first. I would like to place on record how grateful we are for the hard work as chairman over the last five years, and I am also very appreciative that he will continue his role as Commercial Manager and Match Day Hospitality Host along with his wife Christine.”

At a meeting of the club's management committee last Monday night, Les Hood was elected as the new chairman. This is no new post for Mr Hood as he was chairman back in the early 1990’s and was chairman in 1994 when the club won the Northern League Challenge Cup and finished in sixth place in Division One – their highest ever league placing.

Mr Hood is the club's longest serving management committee member having served for over 30 years after joining in 1980. He is currently the club's groundsman and has previously served as vice-chairman and treasurer.

At the end of season 2000-01 he was honoured by the Northern League when he won the League’s Unsung Hero’s Award and in 2005 he was honoured by the Hambleton District Council when he was the first ever winner of their Local Hero’s Award for his service to Northallerton Town FC.

It is understood that Mr Hood is to continue as groundsman and will hold the post of chairman until the clubs AGM in June next year