Mike Thomas said leaving Ashton & Backwell United was a “difficult, emotional decision” after stepping down after 13 years with the Stags, writes Josh Thomas.

Thomas has been with the club since 2010 when Backwell United merged with Ashton Boys.

His depature saw the remaining members on the committee make the decision to withdraw from the Toolstation Western League Premier and run with just one team in Somerset County Division One.

“It was a very difficult, emotional decision,” Thomas said.

“I thought about it for a long time but there is two sides to it. One I felt that I probably had gone as far as I could in terms of the football.

“The other side of it is the management and the players were looking forward to another season and improve on our mid table.

“So they had unfinished business but what I set out to do 13 years ago, take a team full of Ashton boys from Somerset County football up into the Western League Premier I achieved.

“But the other side of it is it simply became to much hard work and there is a lack of volunteers, a lack of committee.

“I’ve tried to recruit and to no avail so I’ve ended up doing rather more than I anticipated and also financially it’s cost me more than expected.

“We have been well supported by Matt Southern but there were four of us when we dame here in 2010 plus an awful lot of parents/supporters who were prepared to help and muck in.

“As time goes on, as players get older those supporters and parents fade away. It simply became to much hard work. It impacted on my business and personal life.”

Thomas helped put together Ashton & Backwell after suggesting the two clubs come together at a Ashton Boys meeting

Thomas arrived at the Stags with Jim Biggins, Matt Southern and Ian Jones.

Biggins was named chairman, Thomas as vice chairman and director of football with Southern and Jones named on the committee.

Thomas was named chairman in 2018 and held the role until recently.

“As a player I wasn’t very good, I was in local parks football, I would never have dreamt of one day that I would be chairman of a Western League Premiership’” he added.

“It was never an ambition but it revolved that way. It’s been an honour and all good things come to an end.”