Chester chief executive Mark Maguire will leave the club in April, the board have announced.

Following a review of how Chester is being run off the field, City Fans United (CFU) have taken the decision to return to a volunteer-led running of the football club, with Maguire’s role being made redundant in the changes.

Maguire, who has previously held similar roles at Stockport County and Hull City, was appointed Chester’s chief executive in 2016 and oversaw a summer overhaul of the playing squad, led by himself and former manager Jon McCarthy, who was sacked eight games into the new season.

A statement from the CFU read: “Over the last few weeks the board, along with a number of key stakeholders, have been reviewing the way that City Fans United and Chester Football Club operate from a business perspective in what is currently a difficult and challenging commercial environment.

“The outcome of these conversations have led to a refocussing on the volunteer values and ethos associated with our founding years as a fan owned football club. Therefore the board has decided that volunteers and working groups should take up a more active role.

“Associated with this review, and the subsequent impact on operations, the decision has been made by the board to make the role of Chief Executive Officer, occupied by Mark Maguire, redundant.

“As with all such situations the club will follow the correct legal and contractual processes and will part on the best of terms with Mark Maguire in April 2018.

“The board would like to acknowledge the significant work and contribution Mark has made to the club since 2016, in particular his professionalism and development of close working relationships with a number of strategic partners.

“As the club now re-focusses back on to the values and ethos that makes us unique, a number of new working groups will be launched and communicated to all in the coming weeks to support this process.”