Wanderers sporting director and former chairman Andrew Howard will call time on his involvement with Wycombe Wanderers by stepping down from his role on the Football Club board on October 31.

A long-time sponsor of the club through Beechdean Dairy Ice Cream - which he co-owns with his wife Susie - Howard joined the Wanderers' board in July 2014, taking over as chairman that summer following a narrow escape from relegation out of the Football League.

His three-year tenure as chairman brought about significant progress towards off-field financial survival and stability, while the club also went from strength to strength on the pitch.

He stepped down as chairman in 2017 but was asked to continue his involvement with the on-field team as sporting director, working closely alongside manager Gareth Ainsworth and his staff throughout the 2017/18 season which culminated in promotion to League One.

Howard said: “Being part of Wycombe Wanderers Football Club has been a life-changing experience for me. It was an honour to serve as Chairman during a period of change and growth, and then to be Sporting Director in a promotion-winning season.

“It has been a hugely enjoyable four years, but also a challenge for me to manage my time in various areas and now it is right that I concentrate fully on Beechdean, which is experiencing major growth across the country and I owe it to Susie and our 100-plus employees to put all of my efforts into the business.

“This is not a sudden decision; it was something I have been considering for some time but it was important that I gave my full support to Gareth and his staff during the summer transfer window to help them build the best possible squad for life in League One.

“Together as a club I feel we have made massive strides from where we were four years ago. We set our clear objectives, personally and collectively, about what we wanted to achieve and we have delivered them, which is something for us all to be proud of.

“I look forward to these final few weeks before stepping down and genuinely hope that Wycombe Wanderers will continue its impressive progression in league football. I will reflect on these four years of serving on the board with fond memories and will be back at Adams Park on a regular basis as a fan and a sponsor,” he added.

Chairman Trevor Stroud said: “Wycombe Wanderers is a very different club from how it was when Andrew first walked into the boardroom and that is testament to the fantastic influence that he has made on and off the pitch.

“As a supporter-owned club it is often easy to forget that many people dedicate their time and efforts on a voluntary basis, and for us to have benefitted from Andrew’s expertise, innovative thinking and drive to succeed has been a major factor in our progress since 2014.

“We will miss him when he goes, both as a person and as a director, and thank him for his remarkable contributions to Wycombe Wanderers Football Club.”