The club announced today that 35-year-old Jamie Day has been appointed as first-team manager with immediate effect.

Vice chairman Peter Varney said, “The owner and the board opted not to advertise the role as having considered the potential candidates, they were unanimous that Jamie Day was the only candidate they wished to initially discuss the vacancy with. The discussions with Welling United have been amicable and we have reached a compensation package acceptable to both clubs and I would like to thank the board of Welling United for the professional manner in which they have conducted the negotiations.

“Jamie has done an absolutely brilliant job at Welling over the past five years and we believe he is the right man to bring success to the club. He will have the full backing of the owner to do just that. It is ironic that his first game this weekend will be a home tie with Welling in the FA Trophy. Jamie will, however, watch from the stand and let Daryl McMahon take charge of the team on the day.

“I cannot speak highly enough of Daryl. After the departure of Steve Brown, we offered Daryl the role of caretaker manager and he could easily have hidden behind the fact he is a player and not put himself in a position where he had to manage his teammates or – worse – make decisions that may upset them. He didn’t do that. He stepped up to the plate and made the decisions he thought were right for the team and the club. The fact he put himself in the position he did is a real measure of the man and don’t forget he also that he took on all of this extra responsibility whilst coping with the birth of his first child.”