Steve Ibbitson will take charge of his last game as manager of Lewes tonight at Bromley.

The 59-year-old is stepping down after guiding the Blue Square South club through one of the most tumultuous periods in its 125-year history after replacing Kevin Keehan in March, 2009.

Former Croydon Athletic manager Tim O’Shea and his assistant Neil Smith replace him and they will be in charge for Saturday’s home fixture against Dartford.

The appointment has the blessing of Ibbitson, who said: “I’ve said publically and in private that I am doing this job for a limited time. I want to help and be involved with the club but have never seen myself as a long-term manager.

“I wanted to make sure the board knew in good time that, at the end of this season, I would not be talked back into doing it, even if they wanted me.”

Ibbitson helped push through the new appointment and suggested O’Shea was the right type of successor.

He said: “They asked what sort of person we would want and I said someone like him (O’Shea).

“He’s fairly young, very energetic, a good coach and someone I believe can put some impetus into the club.

“He was interested and free but said he could not wait until the end of the season.

“If we had left it he would have gone somewhere else but it is not a rushed decision.”

Ibbitson will become chairman but says the role has yet to be clearly defined.

He said: “I hope to be involved in the footballing direction the club goes in.

“The new manager will be free to get on with running the team and I won’t interfere. I will be looking at perhaps setting up an academy and maintaining the youth set-up.

“I don’t want a figurehead role and be shaking people’s hands in the boardroom.”

Ibbitson fears his assistant Jason Hopkinson, Dave Winterton (goalkeeping coach) and Simon Gough (coach) will not stay as the new manager will bring in his own backroom team.

He added: “It is going to be a difficult week to ten days which I am not looking forward to but I think it is the right decision.

“Too many people have worked too hard to see us go down this year and we have every expectation that the new set-up will work.

“I just want to make sure that we give the club every opportunity to stay up this season and do well in this league.

“I would not want to get to January and say it’s too late and we should have made a change earlier.

“This could give us the impetus to kick on again in a similar way to when Steve King took over the first time.

“He is a totally different type of manager to Kingy but he can give the same kind of impetus that came at that time.”

O’Shea, who resigned as Croydon boss in September after the arrest and bail of team owner Mazhar Majeed following cricket spot-fixing claims, said: “We are pleased and excited to be joining Lewes.

“The club has a great feel to it – the Board has energy and drive, the supporters are friendly and loyal and we are constantly impressed with the unique transparency and professionalism in the way that the club is run.

“We are very much looking forward to working with Ibbo, who has done a fantastic job both on and off the field during the club’s transition. We can’t wait to get started.”