Starbuck resigns as Leigh boss

By Pete Oliver

Starbuck was unhappy with the club's budget cuts

Phil Starbuck has resigned as manager of Conference strugglers Leigh RMI and his assistant Gary Kelly has also left. Starbuck, 36, who had been in charge at Hilton Park for a year, stepped down after the playing budget was reduced to a third of its previous level.

He told BBC Sport: "I was not prepared to work like that - Gary and I have put too much into the club.

"I feel most for the players as they did not want this to happen but credit to them as they gave us everything."

Leigh were spared relegation last season despite finishing second bottom of the Conference as no clubs went down.

The Railwaymen are now bottom of the table with just one league win all season and attract by far the lowest crowds in the Conference.

Former Hucknall Town boss Starbuck, who had made a playing comeback in recent weeks, was already operating with the smallest budget in the league.

He had recently released players in a bid to cut costs and following Leigh¿s exit from the FA Cup last Saturday, and with a further cut in the budget, more are expected to go.

Starbuck and Kelly oversaw Leigh's 5-1 Lancashire Marsden Trophy win over Marine on Tuesday evening before leaving the club.