Former Sheffield Wednesday director Ashley Carson resigns from the board at Chesterfield FC

A notice filed with Companies House has confirmed his departure from the board and a club statement said: "Director and company secretary Ashley Carson has today resigned from the Chesterfield FC board of directors with immediate effect.

"He listed his current workload outside the football club as a reason for his resignation. With football club matters taking a considerable amount of his time recently, he wished to reduce his day to day involvement in the club.

"Carson will continue to remain as company secretary, attend board meetings and retain his three per cent of shares within the company. His shareholding is the third largest after Dave Allen and Sue Roberts.

"He also confirmed that his director's debenture would remain in place for now and that he would not be requesting the loan be repaid.

"Carson, who was appointed to the board in March 2010 and appointed as company secretary in February 2014, said: "I would like to thank the chairman, Mike Warner and fellow director John Croot for their support.""

Mr Carson was appointed to the board in 2010 and became club secretary in February 2014 , acting as owner Dave Allen's right hand man and overseeing the running of the club.

During Allen's tenure as Owls chairman, Mr Carson, who is the Sheffield Assay Master, was a director and took charge of the Sheffield Wednesday Football Academy for four years.

Last season supporters began to chant for his exit from the club and those chants resurfaced at the Proact recently, including during yesterday's pitch invasion that halted the game against Solihull Moors.

The organiser of a recent 'peaceful gathering' to protest the running of the club said he was surprised by the content of a series of text messages sent by the director.