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Gresley Rovers Wembley hero Steve Astley has quit the club claiming: “I’ve stopped enjoying my football.”
And last night the defender said he was “disgruntled and disgusted at certain things going on at Gresley.”Astley – who is now poised to join Rovers’ West Midlands League rivals Wednesfield – said he was “disgusted” at being told to pay £17.50 by the club for a video of Rovers’ FA Vase final appearance.
“I know the club did a lot for us when we went to Wembley but it wouldn’t have happened if the players hadn’t won the games.
“Apart from our losers’ medals we didn’t seem to get anything out of it. I just feel we’ve been sold a bit short and that it’s beginning to show on the pitch – it’s certainly affected my game.”
Astley said he had not discussed his feelings with the rest of the Gresley squad and insisted the departure was unconnected with his losing his first team place to Dean Page.
Manager Frank Northwood said: “I can sympathise with Steve because a lot of what he says is true. He has served Gresley well and I wish him well – I’m obviously sorry he’s leaving.”
Northwood insisted that the mood in the Rovers dressing room was “still good” but added: “I said some time ago that wrangles and arguments going behind the scenes at the club would spill onto the pitch and now it looks as if they’re beginning to.”
Gresley chairman Peter Hall today claimed he was not aware of the alleged Rovers wrangles or what lay behind the Astley outburst.
“Really, I just don’t believe what’s going on. Steve has done the club great service and we got on very well with him,” he said. “But we just cannot keep giving things away – financially it’s very hard to run a football club and where would all the money come from?”
