IAN Long is set to step down as the manager of Tividale.

The boss at The Beeches has handed in his resignation and will leave the club following their JW Hunt Cup Final against Stone Old Alleynians on Thursday, May 21.

Assistant Manager Richard Colwell, First Team Coach Richard Upton and Goalkeeping Coach Chris Walwyn will also be leaving The Beeches following a meeting with club officials on Thursday night.

Former Tipton Town boss Long, 39, joined Dale in the summer of 2013 as joint-manager alongside Stuart Scriven, and the pair guided Tivi to the Baker Joiner Midland Football Alliance title and JW Hunt Cup respectively.

Following Scriven’s departure in the summer of 2014, Long was handed the opportunity to solely lead Dale’s first ever year at Step 4 football, and consolidated Tivi’s position in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League, Division One South, finishing the season in eighth position.

Dale will start the search for a new boss with immediate effect, and Football General Manager Leon Murray said “First and foremost, I’d like to thank Ian and his coaching staff for their hard work and commitment to this football club.

“We’ve endured a terrific two years, and we’re looking forward to a second season in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League, Division One South, and much of that is down to Ian and his players.

“We will sit down, look at our options, and seek to appoint Ian’s successor as soon as possible. But, we also need to be fully prepared for our JW Hunt Cup Final tie before Ian and his staff officially leave the club.

Head of Communications, Steven Beech, added “Ian has done a fantastic job here, and I wish him the very best of luck for the future.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Ian, and I’m sure he’ll be a success in his future endeavours.

“But, we also need to focus on the future, and appointing the rightful successor when Ian departs is of paramount importance ahead of the 2015-16 Northern Premier League, Division One South campaign.

“The second season at any level of football is always the most difficult, and we need to be mindful of that during this process.”