Bristol Manor Farm Football Club can confirm that its longest-serving and most successful manager, Lee Lashenko, will step down from his role as First-Team Manager at the end of the 2024/25 season and as Company Director on 1 June 2025.
Lee, known to most of the Bristol footballing world as ‘Laz’, will depart after 12 incredible years down at The Creek. During his record-breaking tenure, he secured an inaugural Toolstation League Cup in 2014, two Gloucestershire FA Challenge Cup trophies, and, most notably, the Toolstation Western Football League Premier Division title in 2016/17, securing promotion to Step 4 for the first time in Manor Farm’s history. Since the global pandemic, Lee has also enjoyed great success at Southern League level, leading the team to two promotion play-off finals in three seasons — narrowly missing out on a second promotion against Winchester City and Frome Town on the final days of the 2021/22 and 2023/24 seasons.
The club also enjoyed brilliant cup runs under Lee’s leadership, including the epic FA Vase run in 2015/16, which took us to within touching distance of Wembley.
In partnership with Chairman Geoff Sellek, Lee was to skilfully guide the football club on to even greater heights, helping raise our profile to the wider football world. Following The Farm’s promotion to the Southern Football League, we also pushed Vanarama National South sides Slough Town and Wealdstone to FA Trophy replays, as well as featuring in iconic penalty shootouts against Kidlington and Cray Wanderers.
While Lee’s primary focus was always on making Bristol Manor Farm as competitive as possible on the pitch, his steadfast leadership off the field since the passing of our beloved Geoff Sellek in 2022 has left an indelible mark on the club and secured his legendary status for years to come. Through strategic commercial partnerships with his other businesses, The Stoke Inn and Bristol Sky Park, alongside the invaluable support of fellow Director Gill Callaghan, Club Secretary Rachael Caswell, and the hundreds of Farmy Army volunteers and supporters who have given their time and energy to the cause, Lee has helped create a lasting platform for both the football club and social club to continue thriving within the BS9 and wider Bristol community.
By making this announcement now, we wish to ensure that Lee receives the send-off he truly deserves from the Farmy Army faithful. It also allows us the opportunity to show our appreciation for him and the incredible success he has brought to our football club throughout our remaining league fixtures, culminating in his final match in charge at The Creek on Monday 21 April against Yate Town in what will be an historic Bristol derby. With 11 fixtures still to play, starting with a trip to Bashley in the New Forest this Saturday, we urge supporters to get out and continue to show your appreciation for Lee and the team as we push – once again – towards the end of season play-offs.
