CLITHEROE have been rocked by the resignation of chairman Dave Burgess.

The former manager, who has been instrumental in helping the Blues become a driving force in the North West Counties Division One both on and off the pitch, stepped down from his post after feeling he didn't have the full support of the board.

His decision to grant Jason Jones' request to be released from his contract was a particularly thorny issue but Burgess also felt he was lacking backing from the rest of the directors.

"The Jason Jones issue was the last straw really," he said.

"We put Jason on a contract at the beginning of the season, but since then certain off-field issues have affected his game, issues that may prevent him from fulfilling his contractual obligations.

"We didn't want him to come off contract, but he wanted to be fair to the club and not create a breach of contract."

And he explained the reasons behind his decision to step down after 18 months as chairman.

"It's not a decision that I've taken lightly but I felt, in some quarters, I didn't get full backing, both from the committee and the spectators," he said.

"Ninety per cent of the committee were fantastic, and without them Clitheroe would not be where they are, but parts of the crowd obviously didn't feel what I was doing was right."

Clitheroe manager Lee Sculpher admitted Burgess would be a hard act to follow.

"I've been involved with David through management for the last three or four years then when he took over as chairman 18 months ago, and his resignation is a big blow to the club," he said.

"He and the committee have worked very hard and have given me the full backing that I need.

"It's a big loss, but thanks to his hard work he has left the club in a very healthy state.

"The three events he organised for question and answer sessions with Kevin Keegan, Stan Ternent and Graeme Souness all raised a lot of money for the club and improved the profile."

But Sculpher, who has also been hit hard by the Rossendale revolution, with Neil Reynolds and Chris Whittingham moving to Dark Lane, said it was important to put this week's events behind them and concentrate on picking up three points when they entertain Trafford in the league on Saturday.

"I'm disappointed to lose Chris and Neil," he said.

"You can't begrudge them the ambition to play at a higher level but I hoped they would be doing that with Clitheroe next season and I explained our ambitions in the hope that it would encourage them to stay.

"But regardless of what's happened this week, the most important people at the club are the lads who are left and we have enough quality to carry on with our aims.

"We've got players who haven't been in the starting line-up who can do just as good a job and I'm confident the lads can react in a positive way."

Jones, who has remained at the club on non-contract terms, is unvailable for at least a week.