Paul Oakes and Lee Shaw call time on their 11-year spell at Fairfield - The Bromsgrove Standard

Paul Oakes and Lee Shaw call time on their 11-year spell at Fairfield

Bromsgrove Editorial 14th Apr, 2016 Updated: 17th Oct, 2016   0

FAIRFIELD VILLA general manager Paul Oakes has announced that he and fellow manager Lee Shaw will be stepping down at the end of the season.

The pair, who joined Fairfield for the start of the 2005/06 season, have called time on their 11-year spell with the club following a season blighted by player unavailability, a constant string of injuries and poor results.

Villa currently find themselves in eighth in the Midland League Division Two table with four games remaining, an unfamiliar position for Oakes’ and Shaw’s side who are used to competing at the top on a regular basis.

Oakes said: “Last season me and Lee was going to leave the club but clubs higher in the pyramid came and took our players so there was a rebuilding job needed so we could not walk away.




“It’s a great family club and we showed our respect by seeing this season through but it’s been very difficult with the results we have been getting.

“We’ve got a really though final four league games but hopefully we can end the season on some positives.”


Looking back at his time at Fairfield, Oakes said he has thoroughly enjoyed the 11 seasons he has spent with the club and is proud of how far the club has come since his and Shaw’s appointment.

“It’s been a fantastic time here at Fairfield, when we came in, they were bottom of the league,” he said.

“There’s great people at the club considering the size of it and as we can’t get promotion due to the parish council, there’s always bigger fish than us in the league but to have competed with those big fish has made me proud.

“The first season I had with the club is a stand out moment as we moved the club from bottom of the league to fourth position, lost 1-0 in the final of the county cup but managed to win the Presidents Cup – it was a real upturn in results.

“We have seen alot of players come through the doors at Fairfield but to see them progress from this club is pleasing to see.

“Even though I will be resigning at the end of the season, I will be staying with the club in some capacity, hopefully on the committee so that I can assist the club however I can and work closely with the chairman Paul Wilkes.

“Both myself and Lee express our thanks to Fairfield for giving us the opportunity, it’s been a great time.”

The recruitment process is now underway for next season and club secretary Charlie Harris was quick to praise the efforts of Oakes and Shaw.

“We are more than happy with the work both Paul and Lee have done during their time at the club,” he said.

“They have took us a long way considering where we was when they joined and have bought Fairfield success.

“They’ve been here 11 seasons now but they felt it was time to step down but they’ll be remaining the club in some way.

“The recruitment process has started and we are looking towards the end of the season to have somebody brought in.”

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