Martin Hobley has quit as Banbury's coach - but stressed it had nothing to do with the club's present predicament.

Martin Hobley Banbury face an uncertain future after the company set up to run their Bodicote Park ground, went bankrupt in January.

Since then, the club have been unable to use the bar and catering facilities in their impressive clubhouse, being limited to just the dressing rooms.

Not suprisingly, Banbury were relegated from Midlands 1 at the end of last season, and will play next season in Midlands 2 East.

However, all this depends on who buys Bodicote Park from the charity commissioners. This decision is expected to be announced shortly.

"If anything, Banbury's problems made me stay on longer than I might otherwise have done," said Hobley, who played prop for Harlequins in a long and distinguished first-class career.

"Considering the budgets, I thought we did as well as we possibly could last season."

At the age of 42, Hobley announced his retirement from playing following Banbury's narrow defeat by Chinnor in last year's Oxfordshire Cup final.

"To be honest, now that I'm not playing, the job has lost some of its attraction," said Hobley, who said he wants to devote more time to his growing family.

"I've got a lot of time for the club and the players, and I'm still available to help out," he added.

Shouldering the playing responsibility is long-serving flanker Willie Brooks, who was elected captain at the club's annual meeting last week.

At present, only two members of last year's team will not be around. Prop Henk Hattingh has joined Oxford Harlequins, while experienced back row forward Rob Cockerton is to become player/coach as Wolverhampton.

At the AGM, Jim Field was elected president in succession to Roy Evans, who died last month, while Rowland Langdon succeeds Pauline Mitchelmore as treasurer.

Committee chairman Neil Chapman and match secretary Norman Hamer have resigned, and their positions have yet to be filled, as the club faces an anxious wait before learning if rugby will continue at the ground.