Sittingbourne stop paying players and manager

Sittingbourne have told their manager and entire squad they can no longer afford to pay them.

The part-time club lie seventh in Ryman League Division One south and broke the news to the players on Saturday.

A club statement said: "The committee decided that unless drastic action is taken the club could face serious financial problems."

Manager Gary Abbott said he will remain at the club and that no one in the side has yet indicated they want to leave.

Abbott told BBC Radio Kent: "We told the boys and on Monday we thought we would only get three or four players there but they all turned up apart from Lawrence (Harvey), who was working.

"To be fair to Andy Spice (chairman), he's put a lot of his own money in and we've had five or six postponements, four of them at home, and we've got four or five away games in a row now.

If everyone would stick together then we could get that fifth spot, but this has probably killed it off

Gary Abbott

He continued: "I know where he's coming from. We've been told there's no money for the rest of the season.

"We're going to get on with it, maybe players drift off I don't know. They want to stick with us for now and we'll see what happens.

"Most of the boys work as well, and I work, but I've always had football money and it's pocket money, it gets you petrol and shopping.

"I'm no different to the boys - I've got four kids to look after and it's a blow to me but we can't hold the club to ransom because that's not what it's going to be."

Abbott's side had been chasing promotion but the Sittingbourne boss said the news would end such ambitions.

"If everyone would stick together then we could get that fifth spot, but this has probably killed it off," he said.

The club has struggled to pay its way for a number of years but this year it's hit crisis point

Sittingbourne statement

"There are two or three players who will go. If they're offered money to work Saturday they're going to go, as much as they love football."

The club statement continued: "The club has struggled to pay its way for a number of years but this year it's hit crisis point, with attendances at an all-time low, affecting gate receipts, bar and food takings, programme sales and raffles.

"The poor weather hasn't only meant games being cancelled but also a number of private functions that would have been held in the run up to Christmas.

"The committee understands that some may not be in a position to stay without wages and wishes all players and management well, whatever decision they make."