Bedford Town have announced the resignation of manager, Lee Bircham.
In a statement released on Sunday (12 April), the club confirmed that Bircham will remain in charge for the remaining two games of the National League North season, but will leave the club and not be on the touchline for the final year of his contract.
“Bedford Town Football Club can confirm manager Lee Bircham has submitted his resignation”, began the club’s statement released at 4pm on Sunday.
“Lee will remain in his role until the end of the season, but will not be in charge for the 2026/27 campaign.
“The board of Bedford Town would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Lee for guiding the club through an extraordinary period of progression over the last three years.
“It was a goal to return to step three when Lee took over, but the progression on the field has been gigantic under his stewardship.
“Lee’s final game in charge of the Eagles comes against Scarborough on Saturday, 25 April, and departs at the start of May with our sincere thanks, appreciation and best wishes for the next role in football and personally.”
Bedford Town are currently 17th in National League North on 51 points with two games remaining, but are not mathematically safe from relegation as teams in behind have games in hand.
From step four to the National League
Lee Bircham’s three-year spell at The Eyrie has been an eventful one.
Joining the club in May 2023 from Leighton Town after Bedford Town were relegated back to Southern League Central Division One at step four, he walked into a place with no players on the books and the task of reforming a squad capable of promotion.
Since then, a multitude of players have come and gone, but the results kept coming, beginning with a play-off final victory against Waltham Abbey at The Eyrie in May 2024.
Read: Bedford Town win play-off final to earn promotion back to step three
Many expected the Eagles to struggle back at step three, but Lee Bircham led his side to a remarkable title surge, clinching the Southern League Premier Central title on the final day against Stourbridge, again at The Eyrie.
That title was won in April 2025, when goals from Ryan Blake and Jack Davies – now of Real Bedford – sealed a campaign that will live long in the memories of Eagles fans.
Read: Bedford Town beat Stourbridge to win Southern League Premier Central
It also secured a first promotion to step two of the non-league pyramid for Bedford Town since 2006/07.
“No job lined up”
Lee Bircham also released a lengthy statement following the news of his resignation.
“It is with a genuine heavy heart that I have decided to leave Bedford Town after our final game of the season at home to Scarborough.
“Just for clarity, I haven’t got another job lined up. My sole focus has always been, and will continue to be, Bedford Town until the end of the season. Also, I’m not looking for a break from football either”, added Bircham.
“These last four years (including the league-winning one at Leighton) have been massively enjoyable, but also tough beyond belief.
“[Bedford Town] is a special, special football club”.
Opinion: A fan favourite, but not without controversy
By Tom Carr, Sport Editor
The step three title win was achieved during a period of instability at the club, as a potential merger between Bedford Town and next door neighbours, Real Bedford was on the table, but Bircham’s ability to keep his side’s minds on the task at hand has to be applauded.
Building a double promotion winning side with the starting point of a club at rock bottom, after losing 17 out of their last 19 league games to finish bottom of step three in 2023, is a sensational achievement.
Taking the club back to step two for the first time in two decades, even more so. The vast majority of fans I have spoken to also regard Bircham as a modern day club legend. And who can blame them?
Despite this, life at Bedford Town has not been controversy free for the outgoing manager.
Bircham had to spend the first chunk of this season in the stands, (or amusingly up some scaffolding) at The Eyrie after being handed a nine-match ban by the FA.
Read: Bedford Town manager Lee Bircham handed nine match ban
Bircham also – intentionally, or otherwise – revealed to Ollie Bayliss on the BBC’s Non-League Show that he had already quit the club towards the beginning of the season, but changed his mind 24 hours later after the club allegedly stumped up a bigger playing budget.
The sheer number of players that have come and gone from his squad has also been a consistent talking point. For example, Bircham has used a total of 13 different goalkeepers since the beginning of the 2024/25 season.
It led to whispers by some of a combative style, hated by a handful of ex-players, and felt at times by us at the Bedford Independent, but in a business dictated by results, Bircham will undoubtedly be remembered as the captain of a ship that has helped Bedford Town reach new heights.
However, during the merger talks, Bedford Town directors were clear in their assertion that they did not have the finance to continually back their unexpected rise, and it is no secret that Bircham has been asking his bosses for more money to compete in the National League.
Whether that has played a part in this resignation remains to be seen, but should Bedford Town manage survival in National League North, Bircham will leave a club in a wonderful position, and with his status as a legend secured.
Bedford Town’s final two league games in National League North are against title-chasing, South Shields in the north east before hosting Scarborough at The Eyrie on 25 April.
