DEPARTING Accrington Stanley chairman Eric Whalley believes the club can start to move forward again after agreeing to sell his majority shareholding to general manager Dave O’Neill.

Whalley was yesterday reluctant to confirm who is buying his shares but the Lancashire Telegraph understands that O’Neill, a local businessman who be bringing in further investors, will become the club’s new owner when a deal is finalised in the next few weeks.

O’Neill linked up with the club four years ago and has stepped up his involvement in the last 18 months, taking on the role of general manager.

He has also been the driving force behind the work to install more seats at the Fraser Eagle Stadium, which is on course to be FROM BACK PAGE completed by the May 1 deadline to retain their Football League status.

Whalley has revealed that he will step down as chairman and leave the club altogether at the end of the season, citing heart problems as one of the main reasons behind ending a 14-year tenure that has seen Stanley rise from the UniBond First Division to League Two.

And, while appealing for further investment from the business community, he believes the sale will help the club to move forward after three years in the bottom half of League Two.

“I said four years ago that I’d take them into the Football League and then step down,” said the 68-year-old, who has invested more than £2m and was once manager of the club.

“I’ve ended up staying longer but I think I’ve taken the club as far as I can. It needs more investment to go on now.

“I don’t really know how much money the new owner has but hopefully he can take the club on.

“I’ve got a hole in my heart and I’ve been having electric charges put through it to try to correct an irregular heartbeat.

“Twelve people were in the hospital last week and only three had been successful. Some people don’t think I’ve got a heart but I have!

“But my family have been asking me for a while to call it a day.”

Stanley chief executive Rob Heys said: “I don’t think there will be massive changes initially but hopefully this will allow more money into the club.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done because there’s due diligence to go through and I think this is also a time to reflect on the work Eric has done in turning this club around.

“He’s taken the club from nowhere to a Football League side, which I don’t think anyone really thought was possible 10 years ago.”

Asked about the date of his departure, Whalley said: “I wouldn’t have liked to have left while we were in danger of being relegated, so I think it will be the end of the season now. It will probably be May 1.

“My head was saying get out but my heart was telling me to stop. It’s been a long road.

“We had 1,100 people there on Tuesday night, even though we’ve won four and drawn one of our last five games, even though we’re the cheapest in the league - although we do have the worst facilities.

“Unfortunately Hollands Pies have gone and Fraser Eagle have gone (as club sponsors), but if the club is to press on more people need to get involved.

“We’re having to put more seats in with no-one to sit on them and a lot of clubs are hoping that the work won’t be done on time so they won’t be relegated.

“They’re pressing the Football League, I know they are, because I’ve had people asking me when is it going to be finished.

“But the club is not close to going into administration because that’s just not an option.

“The club has gone out of business once. That is just not an option.”

And one of Whalley’s football rivals and former boss believes football will miss the larger than life character.

Rod Taylor, the chief executive of Morecambe, has got to know Whalley well as the Lancashire rivals fought many on-field rivalries.

And back in 1988, Taylor employed Whalley as the manager of the Shrimps.

“Football will miss him,” said Taylor. “Over the years I have got to know Eric very well and he lives and breathes Accrington Stanley.

“He has done so much for the club and is responsible for where they are today.

“We have been big rivals on the field but that rivalry has always been friendly and I have always been made more than welcome by him.

“And, of course, he was our manager for a while and I would hope that he has fond memories of his time here as well.

“Eric is a true character – and football needs more people like him.”