Steven Burnett, the popular and amenable club secretary, has stepped down from his Avenue duties due to a change in his work situation and he will be missed.

Burnett was appointed midway through 2001. He approached the club after reading in the T&A that Avenue were looking for a new man and, despite being a lifelong City fan, has enjoyed every minute.

Burnett said: “I have been doing the job for eight and a half years now and the first seven and a half were superb. It is with great regret that that I tendered my resignation but unfortunately I am unable to give it the time and effort it needs.

“I changed my day job about a year ago and from then on I have had less time at weekends and during the week. I have to start very early in the mornings, so going to midweek games – especially away – is a non-starter and I also have to work most Saturdays.

“It came to a point where I was doing a lot of the administrative work and not getting to watch Avenue play. Going to the games, even with all the fuss and work of a match day, was the best bit and I was missing that.”

Burnett’s wife Sharon was filling in for him as match-day secretary while he was still club secretary. Since he resigned on Monday, the club have named director Kevin Hainsworth as club secretary in the interim period and he will be guided by Mrs Burnett.

Steven Burnett said: “Sharon is staying on and will be there at every game doing what needs to be done. Kevin will be the new name on the league and club websites and official correspondence as the first point of contact and will handle all of the post and e-mails.

“I will fade into the background but I still hope to get to as many games as I can because I love the club. It will make a change for me to be able to just turn up and enjoy the game without sorting out the gate money, texting the press outlets and the league every time there’s a goal, filling in and faxing the forms and paying the officials.

“Club secretary is one of those jobs that people just don’t realise how much goes into it and how many hours a week you have to put in. You really have to love the game, and the club you’re working for, to keep doing it.

“That doesn’t mean I haven’t been happy. I have and under different circumstances I would have done it for 30 years or more and enjoyed it.”