Scarborough Athletic joint-bosses Bryan Hughes and Paul Foot depart

Pic: Scarborough Athletic FC

SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC joint-bosses Bryan Hughes and Paul Foot have left the club after five straight league defeats.

The pair replaced Rudy Funk last November after the former boss had led the Seadogs to promotion from the Northern Counties East League.

They ended up finishing sixth last term but have endured a tough start to this season and currently sit 18th in the Evo-Stik NPL Division One North.

Attendances have dropped significantly from the start of the campaign – 525 watched Boro’s first Saturday home game of the season against Trafford while just 216 turned up for last Tuesday’s defeat to Ossett Albion.

That led to chairman Dave Holland cutting the club’s budget and popular striker Gary Bradshaw subsequently left to join Northern Counties East side Hull United.

The joint-bosses have left Boro by mutual consent ahead of the Boxing Day clash at home to Spennymoor Town with midfielder Matty Bloor asked to take charge of the side in the short-term.

Chairman Holland said: “Brian and Paul recognise the situation the club finds itself in – we’ve had to have a budget cut and the gates are not as high as we would have hoped

“We felt it was appropriate that they left and gave the club the best chance to turn it around. We met up yesterday and we didn’t want to see them go but circumstances have forced that – they can go with their heads held high.

“Because we groundshare at Bridlington, we live and die on the numbers that come through the gate. If that is affected in any way it clearly affects whether we can achieve what we set out to do.

“People want to come and watch a winning team but we’ve not been winning and their interest has been waining somewhat.”