EXCLUSIVE David Sheepshanks has offered to resign as chairman of Ipswich Town - for a second time.The Blues supremo told owner Marcus Evans he was willing to step down altogether when it was agreed he would become a non-executive director from July 1.

Derek Davis

EXCLUSIVE

DAVID Sheepshanks has offered to resign as chairman of Ipswich Town - for a second time.

The Blues supremo told owner Marcus Evans he was willing to step down altogether when it was agreed he would become a non-executive director from July 1.

But Evans insisted Sheepshanks maintained his position as chair of the Ipswich Town club and plc boards and the Community Trust.

Although Sheepshanks will have no longer have any day to day involvement in the running of the club and will be unpaid, he has agreed to stay on to chair the board meetings.

As part of the arrangement Sheepshanks, the club and Marcus Evans, will not comment any further on the statement issued last week when the move was officially announced.

But people close to Sheepshanks have said the move to make him a non-executive director was amicably agreed and he will continue to support the club in every way possible.

We can also reveal that this is the second time in eight months that Sheepshanks has offered to resign, the first when a deal was struck to sell the club to Marcus Evans.

Sheepshanks offered to step aside for the new man but Evans wanted him to stay on to help the transition and so he could evaluate the way the club was run.

After a root and branch investigation he decided he wanted to take a more hands on approach but values the contacts and contribution Sheepshanks can still make in a non-executive role.

Sheepshanks will vacate his office at Portman Road at the end of this month, will no longer pick up a salary of almost £100,000 a year, or any other benefits and the car he drives away in is his own.

Although the smart money is on Lord Triesman to officially head the FA's World Cup bid for 2018, Sheepshanks could be handed a significant role in bringing the tournament to England with the job of chief executive separate to bid leader.

He will continue on the boards of both the FA and Football League and as a director for the football consultancy business he helped set up called Alexander Ross.