"We're really pleased to have Phil Lines back in charge, we didn't want him to step down in the first place, but he had his own reasons," said chairman Sara Crannage.

"As soon as we found out David Oldfield was going to leave we asked Phil if he was going to apply for the position and he said he'd think about it.

"We had some very good candidates for the job but Phil was the best one and his appointment will give us some continuity."

Speaking to the Banbury Guardian, Lines gave his reasons why he decided to return to management.

"When I stepped down after we won the league I felt it was the right decision for me and the club," said Lines.

"I had an input into bringing in Roger Ashby He was an experienced and successful manager. When he left I thought David Oldfield was the right man. Although he had no experience as a manager he had been a top pro and was an excellent coach.

"I was looking forward to David taking the club forward but out of the blue he got offered a coaching job at Peterborough. It was a big setback for us as David was our third manager in a year.

"I felt we needed some stability back at the club so when they asked me to consider applying for the job I went away and had a long think about it and decided to," he explained.

"With my knowledge and experience I feel I am the right person to take charge at this time. I want to give everyone connected with the club the success they deserve.

"I've got my appetite back and I'm looking forward to the challenge. Our aim is to get promotion, it's a tough league but the players have to be set targets."