MIKE MULRANEY has announced he will be standing down from his position as club chairman at Alloa Athletic.

He has been in the position since 2005 and will remain an honorary president of the club whilst he now fully undertakes duties as president of the Scottish FA.

Mulraney took the job as SFA president in June, replacing outgoing Rod Petrie, who had held the position since 2019.

Speaking exclusively to the Advertiser, Mulraney said he had always planned on stepping down when he took the job at the SFA.

He said: “The board and I discussed it in the spring and we agreed that the club needed a dedicated chairman, so if I got the job at the SFA, I would step down.

“We wanted to do it before the start of the new season and that was always my decision.

“Having the presidency of the SFA, it means that my time is taken up and it seems appropriate that the club has a chairman that can give it the time it deserves.”

Mulraney will be succeeded by existing board director Andy Allan, with the changeover coming into effect from last Monday.

In a statement published on the Alloa Athletic website, Mulraney praised Allan and insisted the club was in safe hands.

He added: “It was imperative that the club found someone with the drive, expertise and passion to take over and push the club forward.

“The club has such a person in Andy - he has an exceptional career in business and a keen mind for football and I am absolutely confident in his ability to take the club forward.

“I wish everyone at Alloa Athletic the very best for the future.”

Allan is a qualified chartered accountant with 40 years’ experience and has been a member of the board since August 2022.

Allan spoke in a statement released on the club website, saying he was looking forward to getting started in the role.

“Firstly, I would like to thank Mike and the board for their support since I joined last year,” Allan said. “We are all supportive of Mike’s decision, given the commitment required of a president of the Scottish FA.

“I look forward to leading the club forward off the field with the ongoing expertise of our board members and supporting Brian [Rice] and his team meet our on-field objectives this season and beyond.”