Martin Standen has been appointed as the new manager of Herts Senior County League champions Bovingdon following Lee Bircham’s resignation.

The versatile defender was a key part of the side which won the title for the first time in the club’s history last season and will now lead the Green Lane side into Division Two of the Spartan South Midlands League after their application to join was confirmed this week.

With Bovingdon’s league status for next season still unclear last Friday, Bircham stood down because he was also unhappy with some off-the-pitch issues which he refused to discuss. He is now looking forward to a new challenge after being appointed assistant to Berkhamsted boss Steve Bateman.

Bovingdon won the title by a mammoth 18-point margin and chairman John Wood praised Bircham’s achievements during his time at the helm.

He said: “I would like to thank Lee for two magnificent seasons culminating in us becoming Herts County League champions for the first time in our history.

“He has helped the club move forward massively in the past two years and has left a wonderful legacy for the incoming manager.

“Personally I have enjoyed working with such a driven manager and wish him all the best in his new role.

“I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Martin Standen as our new manager for the coming season.

“Martin was in the playing squad last year and knows the current squad well and has some exciting additions. Our aim is to push on and achieve promotion to the South Midlands Division One.”

Bircham explained he had given himself a deadline of last Friday to know what was happening at the club and “when things hadn’t changed – no fault of the club I might add – I just didn’t feel I could give the club everything I had if there was a chance we could end up going back to the Herts County League.

“The club deserves 100 per cent so I phoned the chairman, John Wood, and resigned. He tried everything to keep me and he’ll always be a close friend but I’m made up my mind.

“It wasn’t about getting another job in football as the timing was shocking for that. Ninety-five per cent of jobs had all been sorted. It was just that I didn’t think I could give it enough.”

Stressing he was pleased the club had subsequently achieved South Midlands status and are “going to go full out for floodlights” – the major obstacle preventing the club from progressing up the football ladder – Bircham is now focused on his new role as Berkhamsted gear up for life in the Southern League after finishing runners-up in the South Midlands top flight last season.

Explaining Bateman had sold him the new role within 30 minutes of the pair talking, Bircham continued: “Steve’s a terrific fella and I seriously don’t know anyone in football with a bad word to say about him so I can’t wait to learn.

“But I’m not coming in just to sit on my hands and observe. I want to get stuck into it straight away and intend to drive Steve mad with picking his brain about things.”

He added: "All in all there's a part of me that's sad to leave Bovingdon without floodlights etc yet but I know the chairman is appointing wisely and I will continue to help them where I can, if needed, as I just wouldn't want to see all the hard work we put into changing things just done.

"But I'm so excited about the future with Berkhamsted. I feel and know I've made the right decision and I think everyone at Bovingdon for giving me the chance."

Bateman, who has also appointed Fraser McLachlan as first-team coach, told the Comrades website that his new assistant “brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts and has great enthusiasm for the game”.