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We want to improve - Sculpher  by  Joe Boyle
17/6/2005

LEE Sculpher has replaced Derek Egan as manager of Ramsbottom United.

Egan left the North West Counties League First Division club after a disagreement over the proposed wage budget for next season with club chairman Harry Williams.

Egan and assistant Andy Grimshaw brought in a host of young players last season and lifted the club to fifth spot after they finished near the bottom the previous year.

Egan explained his reasons for walking away from the job after returning from a trip to China.

He said: 'It was a money problem. Harry wanted to go one way with the wage bill and I wanted to go the other.

Harry Williams said: 'He is right what he is saying and it is what you can afford. I have no other comment to make.'

Egan explained: 'I wanted to bring in two or three players. I had spoken to the players, who were ready to come to Ramsbottom and that is the frustrating thing. But that was never going to be an option because I was going to have to go to our players and ask them to reduce their wage bill and it would be unfair to do that.

'I do not understand the maths of it. Gates were up by 20 per cent and if gates are up then people are buying more stuff in the shop.

'I felt that we could have a good go next season but we needed to keep the players we had. Many had been offered double the amount of money to go to other clubs and I could not tell them that I was taking money off them.'

Egan added: 'I really enjoyed it at Ramsbottom and it is a real shame the way it has ended. We finished fifth last year but I was not happy with that. Two daft results cost us third place and that would have been realistic for us and we could have gone on from there.

'I have not got any job lined up but I have inquired about one and I am waiting to see what happens.'

He explained: 'I would like to thank the supporters for their support. I have really enjoyed it and had some lovely comments towards the end of the season. I had supporters come up to me and thank me and it has been a really good experience. If I knew what I know now when I took the job, I would still do it again.'

One supporter, who did not wish to be named, said: 'Derek Egan has taken the club forward to the top five and put 70 on the gate. He was a massive success and was a breath of fresh air. Instead of moving the ball forward as fast as we could, the team played football on the deck from the back.

'He has transformed the club and a lot of supporters are very unhappy with how the ambition of the club is being stifled by the chairman.'