MARK BEENEY has resigned as the manager of Sittingbourne to take up a position at Chelsea.

He leaves after three years in charge of the Brickies to become reserve team golakeeping coach at Stamford Bridge.

Beeney confessed the opportunity was too good to turn down, but he was reluctant to leave Bourne Park.

He said: “I didn’t really want to do it but I looked at all the possible ways to keep going and it just wasn’t going to be feasible.”

Beeney will have to travel to matches up and down the country and it was ultimately the increased workload that forced his hand.

“There are four (Sittingbourne) games I would have missed completely and there were so many clashes that I would have put my driving licence at risk rushing around to get everywhere.”

Beeney says he enjoyed his time with the Brickies, but admitted to suffering from culture shock.

He said: “It’s been mostly good but it’s been an eye-opener. I was at the other end of the football spectrum with Leeds and Chelsea, where you could have everything you liked.

“At Sittingbourne we had to beg, borrow and steal, so it was different, but enjoyable because everybody mucked in.”

New boss Steve Nolan was keen to emphasise the continuity at the club.

He said: “It hasn’t been too different so far. We (Mark and I) always worked together closely and we’ve only had our first game on Monday night.

“[Mark] was always fair and loyal to his players and for someone that had played at the highest level he was very laid back - there was nothing of a status symbol about him, he treated everybody the same.”