Written by Scott Taylor

Barry Smith will step down as Aldershot Town manager at the end of the season due to personal reasons.

The former Dundee manager, 42, is in his first season with the Shots after being appointed in April 2015, succeeding Andy Scott.

Despite being offered a new contract by the club, Smith will return to Scotland after Aldershot’s final game of the National League season away at Bromley on Saturday.

Smith has led the Shots to 16th in the table after an inconsistent season, leaving them seven points above the relegation zone.

It was a better season than the two previous ones at the EBB Stadium, where the Shots survived relegation in the final of the seasons.

Despite Aldershot’s poor home form, which continued with a 2-1 defeat to Southport on Saturday, the board was quick to defend Smith, who has been working with a budget of less than £500,000 this season.

With Smith returning to Scotland to be closer to his family, who have experienced a tough year following the death of his father-in-law, the search goes on for a new manager.

The fans’ favourite is former Aldershot Town manager Gary Waddock, who led the Shots to the Conference Premier title in 2007/08, which earned them promotion back to the Football League.

Other managers on the market at the moment are former Crawley Town manager Mark Yates, former Salisbury boss Mikey Harris, and former Cambridge United manager Richard Mooney.

Although the head manager is unconfirmed, what is a definite, is that the next manager has to be the right one after years of unsuccessful appointments.

Tommy Anderson,Vice-Chairman of the Shots Trust spoke to Radio Woking’s Sports team on the departure of Barry Smith.