At a meeting of The FA Board today, Geoff Thompson announced that he will step down as Chairman of the Board on 31 January.

He said: “I have decided it would be in the best interests of The FA to allow Lord (David) Triesman to take up his new appointment at his earliest opportunity. I will work with Lord Triesman and The FA over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth and effective handover of responsibilities, thus allowing the organisation to move to the important next phase of its history without delay.

“I am extremely proud of everything we have achieved at The FA during my time as its Chairman, and look forward to continuing to represent English football as Vice-President of both FIFA and UEFA.”

As a result, Lord Triesman will start in his position as The FA’s first independent Chairman on 1 February, and will formally take over as Chairman of The FA Council at its next meeting on 11 March.

The Board paid tribute to Geoff Thompson’s enormous knowledge and experiences gathered over three decades in the game and expressed its warmest gratitude for his enormous contribution to The FA as Chairman and the respect that he enjoys in domestic and international football.

FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick said: “Geoff steps down with our deepest thanks and best wishes for the future. He has dedicated nine years as Chairman to developing the English game and extending our influence and assistance overseas. I am delighted that he will continue to represent The FA and English football at world and European level.”

Geoff Thompson was elected to The FA Council in 1979 and spent 12 years as Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee. He was voted onto its Executive Committee in 1989 and was elected FA Chairman ten years later.

During his tenure as Chairman he has been involved in the restructuring of The FA in 1999, which saw the introduction of The FA Board, and then in 2007 with a revamped Board, expanded Council and semi-autonomous Football Regulatory Authority. The trust and respect in which he is held throughout the game was the key in getting the reforms approved.

In recent years, he saw the opening of the new Wembley Stadium, the securing of TV deals worth over £550 million, and a commitment to progressing the National Football Centre from concept to reality.

He has also ensured that England has played a more active role in the development of world football, which is delivered through The FA’s International Relations Programme. He was elected to the UEFA Executive in 2000, becoming Vice President in 2002, and assumed the same position at FIFA in 2007. He served as a member of the UEFA Disciplinary Body from 1992 to 2000 and the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from 1998 to 2000 before being appointed to the FIFA World Cup Organising Committee from 2000 to 2006.