Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks is to take a back-seat role next season.

The day-to-day running of the Portman Road club will instead fall upon the shoulders of a new chief executive. The club will advertise this new position.

By then Sheepshanks hopes to be chairman of the Football Association, as revealed yesterday.

But the Blues' supremo will appoint a chief executive whether that bid is successful or not.

He has outlined the seven-year action plan he will instigate if he wins the vote to become FA chief, with his plans resulting in England winning the 2006 World Cup in this country.

He will contest the election for a new permanent head of the FA with acting chairman Geoff Thompson and other potential candidates including Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein at next month's vote.

The FA position became vacant following the enforced resignation of Keith Wiseman earlier this year.

The Ipswich chairman said: "This summer presents the opportunity to unite every facet of English football behind a common cause - for the Football Association to spend the next seven years making England into champions in 2006 by being world class in everything we do.

"That is my vision, and this manifesto is geared to harness the collective strength of English football in order to deliver it.

"We have a strong foundation and great tradition on which to build yet not a minute to lose in addressing our many areas of challenge."

Sheepshanks addresses the issues of spiralling players' wages, the influx of overseas professionals into the English game and the success of the England side in his seven-point plan.

The points are:

To win the race to stage the 2006 World Cup.

To promote football at grassroots and county level.

To bring "strong and respected leadership" to the game.

To uphold the "highest standards of conduct, integrity and financial propriety" within the game and to address hooliganism and racism.

To build on the success of the Premiership, while also attempting to bridge the gap with the Football League.

To publish a seven-year action plan by January 1, 2000, to embrace his objectives and modernise the FA.

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