Leeds United have clashed heads with their former CEO throughout Shaun Harvey’s time at the English Football League, and must now secure promotion to the Premier League to avoid being left with the mess which led to his resignation.
When the club’s former chief executive steps down from his EFL post at the close of the season, it will pull the curtain down on a seven-year spell with the governing body of the Championship, and is a decision that has been a long time coming.
Ever since Harvey left Elland Road to take up the role, he has regularly clashed with the Whites, most recently over the ‘Spygate’ drama that engulfed the club six weeks ago and remains unsolved, but also on matters like the Sky TV deal and Massimo Cellino’s eventual legal battle to purchase the club.
The most recent agreement between Sky and the EFL earned a great deal of backlash from clubs in the Championship, including Leeds, who felt the product they delivered was being undervalued.
Ratifying Sky’s deal put the writing on the wall for Harvey, and now we must secure promotion out of the Championship to savour the financial gains of the Premier League that the 48-year-old ensured would not creep into the second-tier.
Speaking on his decision to resign, Harvey said: “Having joined the EFL as CEO in October 2013 I am proud of what we have achieved since then in what have not always been easy circumstances.
“Consistently during my time I have always looked to push boundaries to make the maximum positive impact for clubs, whether this be from a financial perspective or by generating value in another way.”