Bognor’s fate was sealed on Saturday with a 4-1 defeat at Wingate & Finchley and despite a battling display they fell to another loss, 3-1 at home to Horsham in a Sussex derby clash on Bank Holiday Monday.

Demotion came after what has been an injury-ravaged campaign, combined with poor form and compounded by a change of manager half way through the term with Robbie Blake leaving his post.

Birmingham and Howell were appointed in the hope they could turn things round but the task has proved too much and the Nyewood Lane outfit will now contest next season either in the Isthmian South East division or the South Central division. And in whatever league they ply their trade, the joint gaffers say they will be ready to mount a challenge.

As the Rocks prepare for their final game of the season at also-relegated Hendon on Saturday, Birmingham said: “Now me and Jamie know what level we will be at next season we can start to put things into place.

“We know we are going to be at step four and we know what type of players we need to target and what players we can take off our list. It’s been a long time coming and now that it has I hope the lads can regalvanize themselves and get around each other… it’s not nice. Look, it’s relegation… no one died and we go again!”

Howell says the objective is clear and that the hard work regards recruitment starts almost immediately. He added: “We have had firm ideas since we came in of what we need to do. We are very clear of the profile of the players we want and their ability and their character and do they want to play for Birmy and I and the club?

“We know what we need. We have a clean state now and we are going to do our damnedest to be successful next season. We have to ensure that from now on we are on an upwards trajectory and make sure that this time next year we are at the right end of the table.”

One positive to emerge from a terrible season is the youngsters who have been called on to bolster the ranks – players such as Lennie Smith – who scored against Horsham — Toby Kingswell, Preston Woolston, Liam Murphy, Ashton Horstead and Freddie Chester have all benefitted from game time.

And Howell added: “We have lots of good, young players. The biggest compliment I can give to Toby is I almost forgot he was playing (against Horsham) and that is a compliment for a young lad playing a game where you’re not actually worried about him because he looked as if he played the level for a long, long time. I think that his testament to him and his character. And Lennie was excellent as well to be fair.”