CLITHEROE chairman David Burgess says money matters led to the disbandment of the club's reserve side.

The Blues are already counting the cost of promotion to the UniBond First Division, after being crowned North West Counties Division One champions last season.

Not only is the wage bill expected to rise but the club will also have to shell out £6,000 to hire coaches for 19 of their 20 away matches.

Burgess said Clitheroe could no longer afford to run their second string. But as the man who took the reserves back to Shawbridge on his return to the club in 1990, he admitted it was a decision he found tough to make.

"Clitheroe hadn't had a reserve team for a few years when I went back, so I got it going again and it has run for 14 years," he said.

"I managed the reserves for four or five seasons as well.

"But going into the UniBond League we had to look at our finances and make sure we were in a position to give the first team a little bit more.

"We want to carry on progressing and it's going to cost us more money to do that. We were juggling balls about and something had to give, or I had to find a lot more money and it's difficult enough getting the money we need for the first team.

"For next season we're possibly going to have to find another £10,000 or £15,000, and £6,000 will be spent on coaches because we are travelling further next season, to places like Lincolnshire and Birmingham, and we can't expect the players to drive to away games themselves.

"Plus we're playing at a higher standard of football so we're looking to attract one or two better players, so the budget's going to be more. And referees are going to cost more."

He added: "I know how important a reserve side is to any club. We had a squad of 16 good players, and you always look to try to bring players through the ranks, but only a few of them were good enough to step up into the first team.

"Gary Jackson and John Paul Fagan both came through the reserves, but beyond that, in the last four years or so, there's been nothing else.

"Maybe it's time for us to look at a youth side, but that's for the future. Right now we're committed to the coming season and putting everything behind the manager, Lee Sculpher, and the first team."