Charlie Methven has resigned as a director of Sunderland AFC for personal reasons, and will leave the club’s Board next Thursday.

Announcing his resignation, Charlie said: “This is a really tough decision to make, but for both family and work-related reasons it was something I felt I had to do. My wife and I are expecting our first child in the New Year, and the reality of my day job – which is largely political consultancy – is that the first months of a new government will be very challenging. I’ve been a largely absentee husband, father and colleague for nearly two years, as the SAFC project took over most of my life, and it’s time that I re-paid those close to me for their patience. As a shareholder, I will of course take a very keen interest in how we get on in the coming months and there are a couple of projects away from the day-to-day running of the club where I will continue to help Stewart and Juan, who has now returned to the country. Finally, I would like to thank Stewart, for his unfailing friendship and some great times, the SAFC staff, who have worked hard to keep the club running so professionally as we went about a tough re-structuring and SAFC’s supporters, especially those involved with the Red and White Army and the Branch Liaison Council. I strongly believe that with the restructuring completed, and investment in place, the club now has the stable platform to move onwards and upwards.”

Stewart Donald said: “This is a really difficult one for me, as Charlie and I have been working non-stop together on this for almost two years. He came and asked if he could resign a couple of months ago, as he was finding it very difficult to keep all the plates in his life spinning, but I asked him to stay on until the investment process was concluded and Juan was back in the UK. I am grateful that he did that, as it enabled me to take a breather and re-gather my energies for the next stage, but it will still feel odd without him, even if we still see each other on a social basis. I want to wish him and Helene all the best as they look to start their family.”