VANESSA Raynbird has fallen casualty to the enterprising move to bring women's football under the Southampton FC umbrella.

After seven years in charge of the area's leading ladies' club, the Southampton Saints, the 47-year-old from Lower Swanwick has been relieved of her managerial duties and offered a scouting post instead.

She has been replaced by John Donoghue, who stepped in as women's coach last November and starts a full-time job with Southampton FC on Monday as community coach for North Hampshire.

Saints will formally take control of the women's set-up later this month, once the old Southampton Saints WFC has been dissolved at an extraordinary general meeting.

After 16 years with Southampton Saints and their forerunners Red Star Southampton, Raynbird feels bitterly let down - not least because news of the proposed change of manager came just five days after the women's committee had given her the green light to continue alongside reserve boss Malcolm Poore.

She and Poore remained in charge for another month, even holding trials for the new campaign, but Raynbird's fate was officially sealed at a meeting attended by SFC's head of marketing Paul Blanchard and head of women's football Sue Lopez.

Although Raynbird agrees Southampton's backing is vital if the women are ever to compete with the Arsenals and Doncaster Belles of this world, it is the manner of her dismissal that disappoints her.

Operating on a shoestring budget, she kept Saints in the FA Women's Premier League National Division and led them to the WFA Cup final and semi-final in the last three years and said: "I would have expected a bit more support.

"The timing's atrocious so close to the start of the new season and I'm extremely disappointed at the way it's been dealt with."

Southampton Saints secretary Jill England sympathised but said: "We always knew there would be changes when the link-up with Southampton went ahead. One of the things Saints insisted on was having the women's team headed up by someone already employed full-time at the club.

"Our committee had no option. The backing of a pro club is vital if we want to push forward and be part of the FA's aspirations for a women's professional league in 2003."

England added: "Whenever there is change, there will always be casualties. Vanessa has been a personal friend of mine for years and I understand how she feels but you've got to look at the overall picture. Saints' backing will open up new scope for support, facilities, attracting players and raising the club profile. For the club's benefit, we have to get on with this."

Donoghue, a 31-year-old former Bognor Regis, Portfield and Pagham player and FA Licence UEFA Part 2 coach, faces a tough baptism. Saints open their National Division campaign at the mighty Doncaster Belles on Sunday week (August 19).