CONFERENCE: Starbuck leaves Railwaymen

Leigh RMI manager Phil Starbuck has resigned after the club's playing budget was cut by two thirds.

Assistant boss Gary Kelly has also left the Nationwide Conference strugglers, who had recently released several players in order to cut costs.

Starbuck had been in charge at Hilton Park for a year, but 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 escaped relegation last season despite finishing second bottom of the Conference as no clubs went down. But they are bottom of the table this season with just one league win to their name and they record the lowest gates in the division.

The 36-year-old former Hucknall Town boss had made a playing comeback in recent weeks, but as a manager he was already operating with the smallest budget in the Conference and more players were expected to have to leave following Leigh's FA Cup exit at the weekend.

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