Shan Toms to leave roles as general manager and director at relegated National League North side Bishop’s Stortford

Shan Toms is looking to stay in football after announcing he is stepping down as Bishop’s Stortford’s general manager at the end of the season.

The 28-year-old, who has been with the Blues for four years, will also no longer be on the board of directors.

Toms, who has been doing the role alongside his day job as a sales director at a commercial finance company, said it had “not been an easy decision” to depart the RDA Stadium.

But he is hoping to do a similar role at another club - he was previously involved with Chelmsford City and Harlow Town - after a difficult campaign that has seen the Blues relegated from Vanarama National League North.

“It’s my decision. I’m leaving on really good terms and got some really good friends at the football club,” Toms told the I Bought a Football Club podcast, hosted by King’s Lynn Town chairman Stephen Cleeve.

“This season’s been really tough and - I don’t mean this disrespectfully to the football club at all - I think it needs a big reset. We took one step forward and now we’ve taken two or three back.

“It needs a big reset and that’s just not where I am at this stage of my football career. I feel I need a new challenge.”

He also told podcast host Cleeve that the Stortford fans had been “good as gold” this term despite seeing their side go on a run of 18 consecutive league defeats.

And he described manager and owner Steve Smith as “inspiring” for sticking with it despite the travelling required in National League North and having to rebuild the squad following their Pitching In Isthmian League, Premier Division title win.