MANAGER Gary Finley quit just hours after Witton Albion were embroiled in controversy.
Yet the two incidents are unrelated. Finley, in charge for less than 11 months at Wincham Park, resigned saying Witton did not match his ambitions.
'Something along those lines. I have resigned because I have,' he said, taciturnly, yesterday.
Reserve team boss Jimmy Vice stepped up into a caretaker role for last night's game at home to Ashton United and for Saturday's FA Cup 3rd qualifying round tie at Harrogate.
Behind the departure of Finley and assistant Lee Coathup appears to be the wage bill and what they construed as cuts, but which chairman Mike Worthington sees differently.
Worthington said: 'I have got on better with Gary than any other manager and it is much to my astonishment he resigned.
'He felt Witton were unable to provide the necessary finance to get promoted. But we are not cutting the wage bill, though we are managing a tight budget.
'We have never demanded he or anyone other manager wins promotion, only that they do their best. We are in a good position in the league and are still in the FA Cup.
'But what I won't do is spend money we have not got.
'We cannot have £300 to £400 worth of players sitting on the sub's bench and it is that area where we need to be more stringent. But every player will receive from Witton what they have been promised. That is not a cut, it is budget management.
'Gary felt we were not giving him the best chance of winning promotion. He's ambitious, but we are not here to get promotion for him.'
Ironically, with Anton Lally set to leave and with another believed also on his way, Witton's financial problem is on the way to being solved.
One player said: 'I am disappointed Gary has gone. He has done a good job and put us into a position where we can challenge, when we were going nowhere previously. The timing is bad.'
Finley arrived from Aberystwyth in November and rebuilt the side, retaining only four of the squad he inherited. Saturday's defeat by Bradford was Albion's first in 10 games.
The Witton board meet tomorrow to decide how to fill the vacancy and Vince, a qualified coach, is an obvious contender.
Finley was the sixth manager to leave since Worthington became chairman: Peter Ward, Nigel Gleghorn, Eddie Bishop, Benny Phillips and John Davison being the others.
