A former Braintree Town manager who lives near Stansted Airport has announced he is the new boss of Bishop’s Stortford.
Ryan Maxwell, who had a spell on loan with the Blues in 2006 during his playing days, resigned as manager of Pitching In Isthmian League, South East Division side Sittingbourne on Saturday.
And, in an audio interview on the Brickies’ website, the 39-year-old Northern Irishman revealed he was taking over from Steve Smith in the hotseat at the RDA Stadium.
Maxwell said it was a very tough decision to leave the Kent club, but that family life and a long commute to Sittingbourne had been some of the factors behind his decision.
When asked what was next for Ryan Maxwell, he said: “We’re going to be plying our trade at Bishop’s Stortford Football Club. We live just down the road and have done for a few years.
“That’s where I’m going to be managing next season, at Bishop’s Stortford, and I would absolutely love nothing more than maybe a pre-season friendly with the Brickies, that’s for sure.”
Maxwell took over at the step four Kent club in January 2023 with the team in the relegation zone and steered them to safety, ultimately securing an 11th-place finish.
He then led the Brickies to third spot this term and their first play-off campaign, which ended in heartache as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Three Bridges in the semi-finals.
The former midfielder was at Chelsea and Crystal Palace as a youngster before playing for the likes of Grays Athletic, Raith Rovers, Tonbridge Angels, Waltham Abbey, Harlow Town and Ware.
He was in charge at Braintree Town in National League South from November 2020 to May 2022 before taking up the reins at Sittingbourne 16 months ago.