Budget cuts force Canterbury City boss Clive Cook and his squad to leave the club

CANTERBURY CITY begin the search for a new manager after Clive Cook and his management team have stepped down from the club due to budget cuts.

The homeless Faversham based club are currently sitting in ninth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 24 points from 17 games.

Manager Cook met with club officials at the beginning of this week and he was told of the current situation and members of the playing squad walked out following a meeting last night.

A club statement said:  “This follows a meeting with Clive on Monday when it was explained that due to the stadium planning application being pushed back until late Summer 2020, and the knock-on effect that this has had with potential sponsors, that a budget review was necessary and the club needed to re-evaluate their aspirations for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.

“Realistic aspirations for the club pending knowing with more certainty the timing and likely date of any decision on a planning application are for a mid-table finish this season as a prudent and sensible position to adopt.

“Clive relayed the situation to the players at a meeting on Thursday and following that Clive and the players decided to leave the club. We wish Clive and everyone else the best for the future.

“We are actively looking to recruit a new first-team manager and hope to have an announcement in this regard at the beginning of next week.

“We would also like to quash any rumours that the clubs relationship with Quinn Estates, our main club sponsor and the developer who will be putting in the planning application, is anything other than excellent and we continue to work with Quinn Estates for the rest of this season and the seasons beyond both on the pitch and off the pitch so far as a fresh planning application for the clubs long overdue stadium is concerned.”

Canterbury City are scheduled to play away at Tunbridge Wells tomorrow.

Cook took charge of 22 games this season, where Canterbury City celebrated eight wins and six draws and suffered eight defeats.

Visit Canterbury City’s website: www.canterburycityfc.net