Rainworth Miners Welfare chairman Brian Reece has reluctantly decided to take a step back and has resigned from his post.

But he is not leaving the club altogether, and will become vice-chairman in a role-reversal, with previous vice-chairman Derek Blow stepping up to the chairman's role.

Mr Reece, who has overseen the club's rise from the old Notts Alliance through four divisions to their new level, has cited personal reasons as his motive for taking the step back.

"There are other important calls upon my time which will mean I cannot devote as much as a chairman of a club at our new level should," he said.

"Without going into detail there are significant health problems within my immediate family, and my work situation has changed recently, so I feel it is better to take one step down and let Derek take over the helm.

"Derek has been vice-chairman here now for a two and a half years and I was delighted to have him on board when he first joined.

"He has wide experience of chairmanship at non-League level, having occupied that role at Teversal and, before that, jointly founding North Notts FC who went on to take the old Sutton Town name.

"So, while I will remain as involved as I possibly can, in my eyes Derek is the ideal man to oversee the club's continuing rise through the Pyramid.

"I'm proud to have presided over the achievements of the club during my time as chairman - success which would not have been achieved without the great team of people running the club."

Mr Blow, who is managing director of D. I. Blow (Holdings) Ltd, a holding company with a chain of opticians in the area, paid tribute to the work that Mr Reece had done, and expressed his desire to continue to build on it.

He said: "Brian has done a fantastic job as chairman of the club, in presiding over our rise from the Notts Alliance to the present level.

"He will be a hard act to follow, but remains involved and we will continue to work as a partnership, just as we have done so far.

"His personal circumstances mean that he now needs to step back for a while, but on the face of things little will change. The club's ambitions are well documented, we still have UniBond League football in our sights, and I hope I will be able to help to bring about the realisation of that aim."

Commenting on the change, Wrens manager Rudy Funk said: "I well remember the day when I first walked into Rainworth and Brian Reece made me feel at home straight away.

"Since that time his dealings with me have always been gentlemanly, he has been unstinting in his support for everything that Billy Millar and I have tried to do, and we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship.

"He's done a lot on the player front too, so I'm sad that he has found it necessary to step down, but at the same time delighted that he will remain involved with the club.

"At the same time Derek Blow is a man for whom I have the utmost respect and regard. He was chairman during my time at Teversal so I know him to be a wonderful man to work with and very professional in his approach."

Funk has also paid tribute to striker Phil Bignall, who has parted company with the club by mutual consent.

Bignall is understood to be the only departure from last season's promotion-winning squad, and Funk said of him: "Phil played a huge part in our achievement of winning promotion and I wish to go on record to record my thanks to him for his contribution. All at Kirklington Road wish him every success wherever he goes.

"I am pleased to say that everyone else of last season's squad has re-signed, while talks with a number of new players, whose identities I will not release, are at an advanced stage."