LITTLEPORT Town stalwart Dave Cullum Snr has stepped down as manager of the club after 15 years.

Football

Dave, 54, has been involved with the club, and with football at various levels across Cambridgeshire, for 25 years but announced just last week that he would be taking a step back to enjoy a spell away from the game.

Littleport Town players Dave Beeton and Paul Starling officially took over the helm at the club for their first match on Saturday.

Cullum started playing football with Littleport in 1978 and carried on into the mid 1980s when he made the move to play first-team football at neighbours and rivals Ely City.

After hanging up his boots at Ely, Cullum took up a post as manager of the Robins’ reserve team before becoming joint manager of the Cambridgeshire Under 18 County Youth team with Dennis Lightning, winning the FA County Youth Cup in 1996-97.

He took up the reigns at Littleport Town in time for the start of the 97/98 season, winning Division 1B in his first season. In his second season, Cullum scooped the Senior B title and Port were propelled into the Senior A.

In 2003/04, after four years of trying, Littleport finally gained promotion from the league, returning to the Kershaw Premier Division for the first time in 20 years.

Since then, Littleport have been a regular fixture in title races and have finished in the top five in all but two seasons in their time in the top division.

Along the way, Cullum has guided his side to eight cup finals, finally scooping the Cambs Challenge Cup in the 2010/11 season.

Cullum is the club’s longest serving manager and oversaw their entry into the Cambs Invitation Cup for the first two times in their history, in 2006/07 and 2010/11.