Ashington Football Club manager Ian Skinner to step down at end of season

The club announced the shock news on Tuesday evening saying that the decision has come about due to ‘a shift in Ian’s professional circumstances.’

Skinner – who will continue in the role of a director – returned to Woodhorn Lane in early 2019 at a time which the club described as being a ‘challenging period.’

But the transition Skinner has made – as he worked hand in hand with chairman Brian Shotton – has been nothing short of remarkable and he grafted away giving many hours of his time without taking ‘a penny in payment.’

In 2022, the Wansbeck outfit lifted two pieces of silverware – the Northern League Cup and Cleator Cup. Last season, they also had a tremendous run in the FA Cup reaching the fourth qualifying round before clinching promotion to the Northern Premier League at the end of the campaign after turning on the style to win 3-0 in their Inter-step play off final away at Glossop North End.

This term, the club have again performed well picking up some eye catching results along the way and are in a mid table position. On Tuesday (April 9) they host Newcastle United U21’s in the semi final of the Newcastle Flooring Northumberland Senior Cup.

The club announced: “Ashington AFC regrets to announce the forthcoming departure of Ian Skinner from his position as manager, effective at the conclusion of the current season. This decision arises from a shift in Ian’s professional circumstances, making the demands of managing a Northern Premier League East side exceedingly challenging.

“Nonetheless, while Ian will be stepping down from his managerial role, he will continue to serve the club as a director, transitioning into an administrative capacity.”

Skinner’s association with the club dates back to 2006 when he initially served as a joint manager before returning as an assistant in the 2015 season.

Reflecting on his tenure, Skinner remarked: “It has been my privilege to manage my hometown club over the past five years and to witness the progress we have made both on and off the field.

"When I first returned to the club it was a period of struggle but with hard work we built a team that would go on to challenge for silverware and achieve promotion. I want to thank everyone who has helped me as part of that journey, the playing and coaching staff, volunteers and supporters, your dedication to this club has meant the world to me.

The chairman added: “When I first spoke to Ian about the job, I was honest about the scale of the challenge facing the club at the time, he accepted without hesitation and never complained.

"Together we drafted a vision for the next few years and despite the challenges presented by Covid, we went on to achieve them all. I cannot speak highly enough of Ian’s commitment to this club and the fact he has never taken a penny in payment since returning is testament to that.

“The club will be making a further announcement in due course.”