MALVERN Town’s preparations for the new season have been thrown into turmoil following the resignation of both the chairman and manager.

Chris Palmer quit the Langland Stadium club and was followed by chairman Richard Bond.

Palmer walked amid suggestions Archdale’s manager Martin Stephens had been lined up to replace him at the Midland Alliance outfit.

That has now become reality with Stephens having been appointed.

He will take charge of the team for Saturday’s first pre-season friendly at home to Lye.

Bond was unhappy with the decision, which was made at a committee meeting, as well as a number of other issues at the club and opted to stand down with immediate effect.

Palmer said: “I’m very disappointed. It feels like I have only done half-a-job.

“We had a young team and weren’t able to carry on with developing it.

“It had taken us a year to start to build the club. It’s a shame this has happened.”

Bond added: “There are one or two things I didn’t agree with. There was no real big bust-up but we wanted to go different ways.

“The committee wanted one thing and I wanted another and I thought the best way to deal with it was to resign.

“It was a mutual agreement and I will still be supporting Malvern Town.”

Football secretary and treasurer, Margaret Scott, admitted contact had been made with Stephens while Palmer was in charge but insisted it was a precautionary measure.

She said: “We had a committee meeting and things were said that indicated we were not happy with the way he (Palmer) was organising training and therefore we did speak to somebody.

“We wanted to make sure we had somebody.”