Harding resigns after 4 seasons as Manager in which he has guided the side from mid-table in the Banbury District & Lord Jersey Division Two, to finishing second place this season in the Premier Division. That spell included winning Division Two in the 2015/16 season, and finishing runners up in Division One in 2016/17, then to finish second in our first season in the Premier Division which is a great achievement.

Mike took over in difficult circumstances, shortly before the start of the 2014/15 season. With a minimal number of players and backing from behind the scenes, the club were forced to concede the first two fixtures of the season. He however managed to steer the club to a mid-table finish and a cup semi-final which was narrowly lost on penalties, which was a great achievement considering how the season started.

Kieran Reading joined as Chairman prior to the 15/16 season and together with Harding and the other committee members has now transformed the club into a stable position both on and off the field. The club really has come a long way under Harding’s leadership.

We know Mike hasn’t taken this decision lightly, but he resigns to focus on the playing side of the game, and we hope he’ll continue to play for the club and play a big role in us looking to win trophies this coming season. He’ll also continue to be on the club committee where his experience is very welcomed.

Following Mike’s decision to resign, we have taken the past few weeks to discuss the way forward.

Current Reserve team managers Matt Robinson and Billy Dancer were keen to continue with the Reserves and build on a successful first season in charge that saw them finish in 4th place and come runners up in the Geoff Wilson Cup, and therefore ruled themselves out of the running for the First Team.

To maintain and build on the success of the past few seasons, it has been decided that Chairman Kieran Reading, and Captain Karl Foster will jointly run the First Team for the coming season. They are excited by the team we currently have and have already spoken to several potential targets to help improve the squad as we look to challenge for the league and cups. Foster has been captain since joining the club 3 years ago and brings a wealth of experience in the local game, whilst Reading has been with the club since the team’s formation 6 years ago and helped Mike Harding with the First Team last season. Best of luck to them both.

Preseason training will begin Thursday 5th July at Banbury Academy (School). If any new players are interested in coming along, please get in touch.

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