Fakenham Town are on the verge of appointing a new first-team manager after Alex Walpole stepped down as caretaker boss at Clipbush Park.

A statement was issued by the club on Wednesday morning which said “Fakenham Town will not be announcing our new first-team manager this morning as previously communicated,” but the club confirmed the Ghosts have a replacement lined up for Walpole.

The Ghosts travel to Walsham le Willows in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division on Saturday (3pm), before making the short trip to Thetford on Boxing Day (11am) and it is expected the club’s new manager will be in charge from the weekend.

Fakenham Town’s statement added: “The club have secured the appointment of a manager who will bring passion, leadership and commitment but are unable to confirm the appointment publicly at this time as we feel it is in the best interest of all parties involved.

“We aimed to appoint a manager who would always put the interests of the club first and believe we have an individual coming on board who will do just that.

“As a result of the new manager coming in we will be in a much stronger position as a football club, on and off the field, and also as a valued partner across the community.”

Scott Lumsden took first team duties this week and the club are expected to make a further announcement which will clarify his role in the next couple of days.

Fakenham will be without the suspended Josh Youngs on Saturday but club chairman Simon Barnes is expecting the club to hit the ground running once the manager is confirmed.

“I am delighted with how the process has gone,” he said. “I would like to thank everyone who applied for the role, we had some great candidates and it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

“Once the new manager is confirmed I think we will really be able to hit the ground running and pick up where Alex (Walpole) left off.

“I would also like to thank Scott for helping out with training ahead of an important week for the club on the pitch.”

The Ghosts will have to replay their fixture at Gorleston, which they won 1-0 back in October, after it emerged they had fielded two ineligible players in the original game.