The popular figure, who has been a regular at Townsend Meadow for more than 30 years, will officially resign at the annual meeting next month. He will be made club president.

Mr Wright has transformed the set-up at Hampton Road during two long spells in charge.

He said: "I still want to be involved, but I just can't do as much as I have been doing. Hopefully it will be a case of doing less but being more useful."

Mr Wright became chairman for a second time in 2000, having previously filled the role in the late 1980s. The club has changed a lot since he first visited with a friend in 1974.

Senior football and a social club just about summed it up back then.
Now it offers a huge variety of community services and the ground plays host to everything from adult literacy classes to Air Cadets meetings.

Such efforts earned the outgoing chairman a special award at last week's Warwick District Sports Awards, held at Leamington town hall.

"There was none if it when I took over. We'd got a bulding that was heated, lit and had its rent paid, but was empty for five days of the week - it was a wasted asset," he said.

"We got involved with the local estate, which was getting a bad press. We've worked at it and things have got better."

"I'm most proud of what we've done with young people. Our junior teams now play in the Midland Junior Premier League - you can't play any higher unless you're at a professional academy."

"We've also got a development team now to bring the younger lads through to senior football. I'm proud of that as well."

Mr Wright added: "If you count the number of kids who come through here in the average year it's phenomenal. With all the football teams, the youth club, the cadets and the boxers it's something like 8,000."

Work will begin shortly on altering the clubhouse to create a new base for the town's Army Cadets and Air Training Corps. The £450,000 scheme is the first phase of a £2.75 million project.

Racing also want to build a two-storey clubhouse with stand and to lay a new pitch - if sporting grants are secured.

The longer-term scheme involves a new 1,350sq m building, which will run adjacent to the far side of the current pitch, but leave enough room to realign the pitch.

Mr Wright will become club president, replacing Ken Westgarth who steps down after a long spell in the post.

Board members hope to appoint a new chairman, commercial director, marketing manager, communications director, community initiatives director and events/hospitality manager at the annual meeting on July 27.

Individuals with a legal or accounting background would also be welcome.
Director Iain Mackay said: "There is nothing amateur about running a non-league football club.

"Racing Club have worked hard behind the scenes to ensure their business is capable of competing in today's difficult market conditions."