PAT McManus quit Sydenhams Premier outfit Brockenhurst when he was informed he would have no budget to work with next season.

But he insists it wasn’t the lack of funds in itself that left him “no option” but to leave Grigg Lane, it was the prospect of the club going backwards rather than forwards.

Having led the New Forest outfit to 11th and 14th over the last two seasons, McManus said: “For me, season three was all about progressing.

“When (predecessor) John Pyatt went to Bashley his financial support disappeared and the club committee stepped in. But we were running on less than a shoe string, operating on goodwill from some players and limited expenses for others, and we’d done well based on our resources.

“I’d done a lot of groundwork for next season with six out of eight friendlies arranged and we were due to start training in two weeks.

“A number of clubs had come in for our players and we’d managed to fend them off without even talking about money or expenses.

“I emailed the chairman (Pete Lynes) last Thursday, told him what we’d got and said now was the time to know what parameters I’d be working in.

“I got a long email back which ended with him saying I’d have no budget at all but I would still have the club’s full support.

“In my opinion, that means the revised target for this coming season is survival and I wouldn’t have come to this club – or any other club – to work within those constraints.

“I always said I would do the job for nothing and that my reward would be seeing the fruits of my labour produced on the pitch, but I can’t expect the boys to stay under those circumstances when they’re already doing it for a lot less than they’d get elsewhere.

“They don’t want bundles, all they want is to make sure they can get to games without it costing them anything.

“I’d spoken to (Bemerton striker) Scott Joyce about coming back and the only player from last season we were going to lose was Tom Hill to Blackfield & Langley, but how could I tell them there’s been a massive U-turn and Brock’s now a survival club?”

With a new commercial manager in place, Brock are busy trying to get sponsorship in and Lynes is hopeful their circumstances will change for the better.

McManus said: “You don’t have to spend bundles to be competitive in this league and the realistic target for me was to be top-six without getting anywhere near to breaking the bank.

“Resigning was never on the agenda, but what was I supposed to do?

“I couldn’t stay and just set a team up not to get beat.

“I’m more disappointed for the players than anything because we were making plans together, but they won’t be short of offers, that’s for sure.”