To all our valued supporters, sponsors, volunteers, and friends of Ascot United FC,
We are writing to you in response to recent speculation and concerns following the club’s mutual decision to part ways with Jamie, our first team manager of the past seven years. First and foremost, we want to express our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Jamie and his management team. Their contributions to the club have been extraordinary, and the memories and successes we have shared under their leadership will forever hold a place in our club’s proud history. As we conveyed personally to Jamie and Dean, their achievements are deeply appreciated by everyone involved with Ascot United.
In recent days, however, there has been a wave of criticism, much of it, unfortunately, based on speculation, assumptions or misinformation. Disappointingly this includes comments from former players and staff who have previously received support from the club.
Despite inviting direct enquiries via the contact email provided in our original statement, we have received none. Instead, we’ve witnessed public commentary that has been both hurtful and misleading. Sadly, what should have been a moment to reflect and celebrate Jamie’s many accomplishments has been overshadowed by the need to focus our efforts on defending the club’s decision.
We fully understand and respect the passion that fuels our football community. We welcome and value open dialogue but it is disheartening when the nature and tone of public remarks become personal or divisive. Unlike some of those offering commentary, the members of our board serve voluntarily, giving our time and energy freely, with the sole aim of supporting and developing our community club. We appreciate the frustrations and your patience during this time; unfortunately we have both been travelling with work when this situation unfolded, which delayed our ability to provide more detailed context earlier.
Ascot United is a unique club. We are not funded by wealthy individuals or investors. We do not operate our senior section in isolation. We are, and always have been, a grassroots community football club that has built its senior programme from within. With over 1,000 members across our many teams, it is essential that we protect the long-term sustainability of the entire club.
No one at the club wanted things to end this way.
Every effort was made to ensure a respectful and dignified transition that recognised these contributions and success achieved. We were pleased to see Jamie’s recent interview in the Non-League Paper, which offered an honest and fair summary of the situation. Due to work travel commitments we were unable to contribute to the article at the time, but we thank him for his professionalism and reiterate our best wishes to him and his team for future success.
In the interest of transparency, and to address some of the points made we want to clarify the key factors that led to this mutually agreed decision.
As the club has progressed through the leagues, the first-team playing budget has naturally increased each year to remain competitive. However, during this season, the playing budget was significantly exceeded – not just once, but twice – despite active efforts to manage spending within both the original and a subsequently revised budget, both clearly communicated and agreed with Jamie.This placed considerable strain on the club’s finances.
While we acknowledge that certain costs may be outside the first-team manager’s direct control, the playing budget remains the single largest cost centre under their responsibility. Exceeding the agreed budget on two separate occasions during the same season resulted in a loss of confidence.
Like many clubs, we too have also faced increasing financial pressures this season: reduced youth team numbers, rising operational costs, unexpected facility maintenance, lower-than-expected sponsorship income. As a result, the club has not met its financial targets this past season.
While promotion last season would have been a wonderful achievement, the associated rise in travel and operating costs and enforced ground improvements in order to comply with ground grading requirements would have been unsustainable in our current position. Looking ahead, further investment will also be needed to complete mandatory ground improvements by March 2026 to remain at our current level and we face further challenges with new staff-related expenses due to changes in national insurance and minimum wage legislation.
As discussed with Jamie, we have also observed a growing disconnect between the first team and the wider club. This season, more than ever, that gap has become more apparent. For a club rooted in community values, this divide is something we must address given our unique operating model. Rebuilding unity across all sections of the club is a top priority moving forward.
Jamie’s seven year tenure is something we will always respect and honour. We deeply regret that it has come to an end in this manner. However, as custodians of Ascot United, our foremost responsibility is to safeguard the long-term interests of the club, not just for a few, but for the entire community. While the first team plays a significant role in our club, the way we operate must always reflect our core values and commitment to the wider organisation.
We want to reassure our members, supporters, and partners that every decision made by the board is grounded in our unwavering commitment to the long-term integrity, stability, and success of the club.
To those who continue to voice public criticism, we ask you to consider the potential consequences such negativity can have on the very club you claim to support. Passion and pride are the lifeblood of any community, but public division risks damaging morale, hindering progress, and deepening rifts – especially at a time when unity is more important than ever.
We remain optimistic about what lies ahead. This is an opportunity to achieve a better balance for our community club. The board and staff are united in our commitment to serve Ascot United with the same passion, care, and responsibility that has brought us this far.
This will be our final statement on Jamie’s departure. Our focus now turns to the future identifying the right first team manager and team to guide the next chapter of Ascot United.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
With respect and appreciation,
Dan Birchmore (Vice Chairman) & Tom Howland (Director of Football)