Player/manager Ben Taylor has walked away from Woodstock Sports.

Taylor leaves with the club bottom of the Southern Counties East League and having just exited the FA Vase.

He made his decision to quit before Sunday's second qualifying round tie at home to Epsom Athletic, which Woodstock lost 2-0.

Chairman Ron Welling said: "Ben has been in many ways the heart and soul of the club for the last six years. He personifies a lot of what is good about Woodstock Sports Football Club.

"He has always put the club and its supporters first. Ben will always be a part of the family at Woodstock.

"However, results in the league have been disappointing and he believed that to build on the progress that has been made, we needed to make a change."

Taylor captained Sittingbourne before joining Woodstock - then Norton Sports - in 2007.

He led the club to the Kent County League championship in his first season in charge and subsequently helped them consolidate their Kent League status.

Taylor said: "It has been an honour and a privilege to have had the chance to play for and manage Woodstock Sports, especially under Ron.

"Ron is a brilliant Chairman and a great mate. I greatly appreciate the work that my backroom staff, the players that have remained loyal to me and all of the committee put in during my time and I feel proud that we are now an established club in this league.

"Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I’d like to think I am doing it in an honourable, respectful and dignified way that reflects on the quality of the people involved with this club and their continued desire to move the football club forward in the same way as when I started here."

Lee Hockey, who served as Taylor's assistant, has been named as the club's new manager.

Woodstock's next game is at home to Greenwich Borough on Saturday (3pm).