Ashton & Backwell United are looking to bring in a new manager following Stuart Jones’ departure.

Jones left The Stags, after three years in charge, earlier this month after taking over in May 2018 from Paul Waring and Rich Ford.

He had managed 41 games, winning 20, drawing five and losing 16, in all competitions as the coronavirus pandemic saw successive seasons curtailed.

Chairman Mike Thomas is open for anyone to apply for the job and aims to bring in the right person to help the club continue to grow, establish itself and continue the legacy left by Jones, who led Ashton & Backwell to three successive top-four finishes in Toolstation Western League Division One.

“We think we are well placed and should be an attractive offer to good candidates,” he said.

“Stuart was at an advantage that he walked into a changing room that has got one of the best spirits and atmosphere in the whole of the Western League.

“The friendship, and spirit, reflected in the changing room, in the bar and most importantly on the pitch is as good as you get anywhere in football.

“That’s been developed because you had some of those lads who have been playing together since the age of six at Ashton boys.

“The new boys that Stuart and Andy Hawkins brought to the club were welcomed, come into the fold and have now made new friends.

“Whoever comes into the club it’s important that they maintain that harmony. There is a fantastic relationship between the first team and the reserves, which I’m finding out more and more isn’t always the case at other clubs.

“This year where the squad is much stronger, it’s been an unusual case that the reserves, on occasions, had players dropping to the first team.

“Those players are quite happy to come down to the reserves and the reserves have had probably too many players. We had a rotation policy. You don’t get that at too many other clubs.

“There’s a huge strength for anybody coming in to the club, they have got a good pool of players and they have got to have the ability to build on that.

“One or two people in the game have remarked it’s a well run club, Stuart will hopefully have appreciated the relationship he has had with me and the secretary.

“And that’s important as it allows the managers to actually manage and get on with the football side of things.

“If people want to apply, we will have a look at the candidate and try to match our needs and make it an enjoyable relationship in the way we’ve achieved with Stuart over these last three years, all be not three full seasons.”

If anybody is interested in the managerial vacancy at Ashton & Backwell United, you can can either call Mike Thomas on 07515 112830 or email him on mike@bristolwindowstore.co.uk.