Whalley originally joined The Saddlers as part of the 'Save Walsall' campaign in 1986 and accepted the role of club secretary following a request from chairman Barrie Blower.
In 2010 Roy received much criticism from Walsall supporters for his part in the clubs controversial use of banning orders after unrest had broken out amongst supporters which included the unfurling of a 'Freedom of Speech' banner and Cypriot flags in the Tile Choice Stand.
Following the incident Whalley was quoted in the press as saying 'The people who were involved will not be coming in to the match on Saturday. They will be banned until further notice. It's against ground regulations and we're not prepared to sit back and allow it to happen. We have pictures of those who were involved'. 'They will not be allowed in. That type of behavior is inciteful and is against ground regulations.' Roy also went on to accuse supporters of endangering the future of the club. He said "We have about 200 people who rely on the club for their income. We have about 100 full-time employees and 200 part-time, we are a big employer in the town. They are not only putting the future of the football club on the line but they are also risking people’s livelihoods.”
In July 2010 Roy was replaced as Chief Executive by Stefan Gamble, he however continued to work for the club in several other capacities.
He will remain a member of the board of directors.