NEW blood is needed at Burnham Ramblers.

That is the view of club secretary Shaun Pugh and chairman William Hannan.

The long-serving pair announced their decision to resign at the end of the season at a special meeting on Monday night.

It has been a tough season for the Leslie Field club that has seen them relegated from Ryman League division one north.

Pugh and Hannah’s revelation that they would relinquish their roles on May 31 has seen manager Bertie Brayley leave the club with immediate affect.

Pugh said: “We resigned at the meeting on Monday night and will stand down on May 31.

“We both decided that the club needs a new direction and new blood to come in.

“However, we are both trustees of the club and that hasn’t changed.

“Bertie decided to go straight away as he now wouldn’t be here next season and it would give someone time to come in and put together a team.

“For the weekend’s matches it is more than likely that senior players like Stuart Judd and Ricky Evans will take charge of the team.”

Pugh has held many positions at the club and at one time was secretary, fixtures secretary, groundsman and kit washer.

But he believes that the workload is similar to those at other clubs.

He added: “The position I have been in is like a lot of people at clubs at this level, where you do a lot of jobs.

“I have looked after the ground, washed the kit and been fixture secretary.

“If anything happened to me that would leave a big hole.

“We have, though, got someone in now to do the ground and someone to wash the kit and we put those in place this season.

“So basically the club will need to look for a scretary and fixture secretary by May 31 to replace me.”

But he is not going to leave the club in the lurch and added: “I am not just going to disappear and I will be around to help the new people to bed in.

“I have been at the club for 17 years and secretary for the last ten.

“So I will be looking forward to a rest.”

Chairman Hannan, who has been at the club for ten years, said: “I think the club needs new blood.

“Shaun and I will be at the club until May 31 and help the new poeple to come in.

“There are only five games left in the season so I think we will probably stay with what we have got at the moment and the new chairman and secretary can select their manager.”