AFC St Austell have started the search for a new manager for next season following the announcement on Friday afternoon that Mark Ferguson-Smith and his coaching team are stepping down at the end of this campaign.

Ferguson-Smith has been at the Poltair Park club for seven years and managed the second team before taking on the South West Peninsula League team.

In a statement, AFC St Austell said: “Earlier this week, our first team manager, Mark Ferguson-Smith, informed the club of his intention to step down at the end of the season.

“We would like to thank him for his outstanding commitment to the club over the last six seasons, as seconds and first team manager.

“Also stepping down will be Mark’s assistants, Steve Wheatley and Gary Wheildon; again we would like to thank them for their endeavours.

“We are now beginning our search for Mark’s successor and hope to make an appointment before the end of the season.”

Ferguson-Smith said on social media: “Firstly, thanks to all those who have messaged me or tweeted with messages of congratulations on our tenure.

“I was extremely privileged to have managed both men’s teams of my hometown club at such a young age, with relatively little managerial experience and I must thank Jason Powell and AFC St Austell for cutting faith in our management team to deliver their aims over the last seven seasons.

“However, one of the main reasons for the difficult decision was that I proposed a three year plan when putting myself forward for the first team role in late 2019 and we have ultimately failed in delivering each of the agreed season goals.

“On that basis, I’m a firm believer in any aspect of life that providing you allow for time to see it develop, if you invest significant effort and commitment into something and it stops moving forwards, it’s probably time to move away and that has definitely felt like the case with our time at the club.

“Thanks to all those who have invested their own time into the project, most notably the likes of Jason as chairman, Tracy Banfield as secretary, Steve Wheatley, Ben Cooper, Luke Perkes and Gary Wheildon as our management team and all the players to have represented the club throughout our seven seasons across first and reserve teams.

“I like to think we have achieved one of our principle objectives of providing young footballers with an opportunity to play for their local club and develop them on and off the field.

“We look forward to finishing the season with some good performances and supporting the new management team in taking this great club back to where it belongs at the top table of Cornish football.”