Supporters Direct (SD) today announces that Dame Pauline Green will stand down as its Chair at its Annual General Meeting on the 7th July in London.

Dame Pauline joined the Board of SD as Chair in September 2009 shortly before retiring from her full time job as Chief Executive of Co-operatives UK. Her election to the post was designed to further cement links between SD and the UK's co-operative family of businesses, with which its member trusts share a great deal in common, including an emphasis on community and democracy.

Speaking about her departure Dame Pauline said, "I have made the decision to stand down as Chair of SD given the huge increase in my workload as President of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) in this the United Nations 2012 International Year of Co-operatives."

She went on to say: "I leave a supporters' trust movement that is truly inspirational. I can think of no other group of people and organisations that have achieved as much as they have from so little. In financial terms, funding of around £4 million has resulted in over £33 million of investment in clubs, and critically, nearly 50 clubs saved because of their intervention. I can't imagine where football in particular would be without this massive contribution; resulting from the long-hours, drive, and sheer effort that supporters' trusts contribute to ensure the survival and
long-term health of their clubs.

"The people behind supporters' trusts and community owned clubs are real heroes and I pay tribute to their huge dedication and commitment.

"Being the Chair of SD for the last three years has been a great privilege. It has also at times been a bit of a rollercoaster, with a long period of financial uncertainty as SD worked with the Premier League and the Fans Fund to move to a new financial model in its second decade of existence.

"However I am now delighted to report that SD has its updated strategy and business plan in place, and a new Chief Executive, David Lampitt, who will join the organisation on June 25th. I am confident that SD with David at its helm will build on the strengths of its first twelve years, growing the role of the trust movement and SD as its voice across the UK and Europe.

"The abiding strength of SD itself rests in its great staff team whose loyalty and hard work has been quite outstanding, and I pay tribute to them and a board who have faced up to the many challenges confronting them in these last two years. I would also like to thank Brian Burgess who has acted as Interim Chief Executive for the last year, and who has steadied the ship at a time when it was so urgently needed.

"It has been my great privilege to work with this great team, and I wish SD the very best for the future."

Acting Chief Executive, Brian Burgess, paid tribute to Dame Pauline: "There have been some tough times at SD in the past year in particular, and we have been fortunate to have the benefit of Dame Pauline's leadership. Both the organisation and our relationship with the co-operative movement are stronger now than ever. On behalf of everyone at SD I would like to thank Pauline wholeheartedly for her dedication and commitment to our cause and we wish her well."