KEITH Stopps has resigned as manager of Abingdon Town, whose relegation to Ryman Division 3 was confirmed this week.

Stopps stepped down on Monday, the day before Town's faint, mathematical hopes of survival disappeared with a 2-1 defeat at Edgeware.

The former Milton United and Abingdon United boss cited "differences of opinion with the board" as the reason for his departure.

"I felt that we should not be thinking of ourselves as a Ryman Division 1 team for a while, but should accept our level and concentrate on building for the future with local youngsters," he said.

"We should be getting the best local kids at a young age and creating some loyalty, so we can come back stronger.

"Instead, I felt that the board were trying too hard to get straight back into Division 1 by spending too much on the players.

"But I wish the lads all the best for next season. The side they've got now is possibly good enough to do well in Division 3."

Chairman Phil Evans said that he was disappointed with Town's season, but was confident about the future. "I genuinely feel that we can find our level again in Division 2 or 1," he said. "We will have to consolidate next season, but we can get up there again."

Evans's confidence stems from Town's improved financial position, due largely to the sale of former striker Jermaine McSporran from Oxford City to Wycombe Wanderers.

"We used Jermaine's sell-on fee to refurbish the facilities," he explained. "Without doing that it is highly unlikely that the club would have survived much longer.

"We had to invest every penny we could lay our hands on so that we could generate some income down the line.

"People don't realise how close we would be to folding if we hadn't have done it. But we are safe now, and the place is refurbished and really tasty now - the ideal place to take your or somebody else's wife."

Story date: Thursday 15 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.