Meridian VP chairman Dwinder Tamna takes the reins again after manager Owen Jones steps down after losing 15 of his 19 games in charge of Charlton-based club

The chairman of Meridian VP has taken back control of team affairs again after Owen Jones stepped down as first-team manager.

Dwinder Tamna returns to the dug-out with the Charlton-based club struggling in the bottom two in the Southern Counties East Football League First Division table, having collected three wins from their 15 league games.

“Meridian VP FC, with regret, would like to put on record after discussions with the chairman on his return on Monday 29 November 2021 that Owen Jones has stepped down as first-team manager,” said a club statement.

“We would like to thank Owen for his monumental efforts he has applied to the club and ethos he has brought to the team since taking on the role in pre-season.

“Let it be said nothing in life is easy especially in these testing times over the past two years.

“We all have the best intensions to do well but unfortunately matters sometimes just don’t go to plan for whatever reason it may be.

“We send our best wishes to Owen for the future and most importantly he will be welcome anytime to the club, thank you Owen once again.

“Club chairman Dwinder Tamna has once again taken the reins in an effort to bring stability both on and off the field.”

Jones, the former Erith & Belvedere manager, took charge of 19 games in all competitions, winning four of them and losing the other 15.

With the club struggling to attract a fan-base with recorded attendances lower than the actual number of players out on the pitch, Meridian VP go into Saturday’s home game against Faversham Strike Force on a run of five straight defeats in League and Cup.

Faversham Strike Force sit in eleventh-place in the table with 22 points from 19 games, in their first campaign in the tenth-tier of English football, Step Six of the non-league pyramid.

Meridian VP are six points adrift of Forest Hill Park, the side immedaitely above them in the league table.