Wrexham have, this week, announced that Shaun Harvey has been appointed as a director. Fans have been left wondering how this has been made possible given his previous spell with Leeds United.
It has been a great few years for Wrexham since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came into the club in November 2020.
With them at the helm, things off the pitch are constantly improving with The Racecourse developments just the tip of the iceberg.
On the pitch, things have followed suit as Phil Parkinson has taken the Reds from National League to League Two. Now they are flying high at the top of the league and back-to-back promotions look like a real possibility.
This week has seen the club make an announcement as an addition to the board has been made. With Humphrey Ker, Reynolds and McElhenney already, Shaun Harvey has now joined them.
How was Shaun Harvey allowed to become Wrexham director?
In June 2004, Harvey joined Leeds United as chief executive officer. He remained in the role for nine years before stepping down. During his time with the club, they went into administration twice before he moved on to join the EFL.
Nowadays he is with Wrexham where he has been since February 2021 as an advisor to the Board in support of the Hollywood duo. Following his appearances in ‘Welcome to Wrexham‘ fans are well aware of his role within the club.
This week, the club announcement saw Harvey be named as a director of the club which had left some fans confused.
Kieran Maguire on Twitter has outlined the reasons for him being able to take the role up. This had been questioned following his involvement with Leeds United.
On that, he said: “Shaun Harvey becomes a director at Wrexham. For anyone wondering how he passed the owner and director test which bans anyone from being a director of a club(s) that went into administration twice. The rule start date is June 2004 and Leeds went into admin in March 2004 and May 2007.”
Given that his involvements in Leeds fall partially outside of the window needed, he is allowed to come on the board at Wrexham.
It is clear that this has all been done above board and has been passed by the EFL. Given the success Reynolds and McElhenney have had, some of that has to be put down to Harvey.
What has Humphrey Ker said?
It is clear that this development has pleased those already on the board at Wrexham. This would suggest it has been in the pipeline for a while.
With that, speaking to the official club website executive director, Ker, has opened up about Harvey and him joining the board.
On that, he said: “Shaun has been at the heart of everything the Club has achieved since the takeover, and his elevation to the Board is both a recognition of his contributions and a formalisation of the role he has fulfilled for the last few years. I am delighted to welcome him to the Board of Wrexham AFC.”
Clearly, Harvey is a well-respected member behind the scenes at Wrexham and has had an impact. This is a reward for his contribution to the club during his time in North Wales, so far.