Mark Bentley was appointed in October 2021 as first-team coach to his former teammate Kevin Maher.

He made 93 league appearances for Blues between 2004 and 2006, scoring 12 goals. Bentley also appeared for the likes of Aldershot Town and Gillingham before hanging up his boots in 2016.

He took his first steps into coaching as player-manager of Grays Athletic, going on to manage Canvey Island between 2018 and 2021.