Manager Steve Bateman leaves Aylesbury Vale Dynamos

Steve Bateman has stepped down as manager of Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (archive picture)

In an announcement on the club website, his statement said: “It is with heavy heart that I have decided to step down from my role as 1st Team Manager at Aylesbury Vale Dynamos FC with immediate effect.

"I came back to the club to have a crack at getting the club back to Step 4 this coming season but the past month has shown me I cannot convince the players I want to work with to commit to my vision,” said Bateman, who took over from Phil Granville in October.

"I have therefore decided to step aside and allow the club to appoint a management team who have the contacts for the Step 5 level to compete and the earlier I do that the better for the club.

"The club has moved forward off the pitch immeasurably since my previous spell and has facilities to move forwards now and it’s right that I give the right person the opportunity to maximise the huge potential the club has.

" I have enjoyed a great run in managing in Non League but have nothing else lined up and in the words of Sir Steve Redgrave ‘if you see me back in a dugout then shoot me’.

“Back to the golf course for me. Lastly a massive thank you to our committee for your support when I returned and I wish the club all the best for the upcoming season.”

The club’s post continues: "The committee would like to thank Steve for taking on the role at a time when the team needed some stability and guidance.

"The past couple of seasons have been so disrupted with the pandemic, the team was in a spiral and with Bates’ experience he managed to get the boys on a decent run of games that gave them some belief and put some fight back into them.

“Bates will always be a big part of the club’s progress and this chapter is no different.

"We’d like to thank him for his second time with us, and look forward to seeing him for a drink, more stories of his Everton days and how his golf swing is improving.

"Steve, from the Committee and the entire Dynamos family, good luck in whatever you chose to do next and thank you for all you have done for the club.”

Dynamos finished 14th of the 20 teams in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division last season.