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Dave Rider (DR): Mark, you made a statement yesterday (Friday) saying that you'd resigned from the UniBond League what's the background to that?

Mark Harrison (MH): Basically Dave, we've had to make a decision before the 14th May that the FA wanted us to. In fact it was the UniBond League that rang us to make a decision to say whether we were going to stay in the league or what we were going to do.

So we made that decision purely because we recognise that we can't compete at this level without the wages and no disrespect to the lads who have been playing with us with all the heart and they've done a really, really good job, we need to drop down to start again to come back and get us a stable base and bring Gresley back to the greatness it should be.

DR: Now the situation in just gauging players reactions is that there seems to be the hint that if you go down just one league the majority of them would be happy to stay with Gresley Rovers but if you drop down any further than that they would reconsider. Does that concern you that you may have to go down two leagues and therefore players will think well this isn't a starter?

MH: It concerns me greatly because obviously the players you are talking about have come here and played for nothing. Whether we lose all of them or some of them is a decision they'll have to make in the close season I guess when the decision is made about Gresley.

I've just been in the dressing room actually after the match today and said to them that I want everyone of them to come back next season because they've done the hard work this season, they've seen it through, they've fulfilled our fixtures which we said we would do to the UniBond but now come back and enjoy. That's what we've lost this season is the enjoyment in it. To be competitive in a league and to be winning games.

That's what we want the lads to come back to so yes it concerns me that I'm going to lose some of my players. You've just got to name Carl Slater who came back to us after leaving, I want Carl at the club for ever and ever he's a Gresley lad.

I'm not just singling Carl out but I want everybody back here to have another go and to recognise and really feel that the greatness is coming back to Gresley. It's important that the lads come back who have done all the hard work and come back and now get the reward.

DR: Let's talk about your manager. You praised him in the statement because at the end of the day he's had six years now in charge, six full seasons, he's had times when he's had money and probably the team's underachieved and he's had no money this season for the majority of the season and in many ways the team's achieved what it set out to achieve. So, this season probably he's done better than expected.

MH: Absolutely. When we came here a year ago, I met Gary (Norton) and things were a bit stand offish in the first few months while we were trying to get to know each other.

I think I've brought something different to Gary this season in the sense of how I've been open to him; I've been honest with him. We've bonded and it's very unusual to see a chairman and a manager get that sort of relationship and I'm proud of that relationship because Gary is a Gresley lad.

He's put a lot of time, effort and money into this club and I think he deserves again a season where he can come and enjoy and organise as a team that he's not worrying about players - players that want to play for Gresley. But what can you say about Gary Norton? Some at the club don't like him, some do but for me while I'm here, and I'll go on record, while I'm here Gary Norton's here and hopefully for years to come he'll be here because I'll prove to people that Gary Norton's got what it takes to do this job.

DR: From my own point of view, I was one of those who doubted his ability two or three years ago. But now as we sit here I think he deserves an opportunity to manage the side next season but then there are a lot of people who think like that.

MH: I hope so Dave because he has done tremendous. It's stressful on his family because it does impinge on your home life when you're going through this kind of thing. It's about time to take this club back and my first question to Gary was what if the club goes down what are you going to do? He said 'I'm staying'.

He's had some good job offers over the years but he's still at Gresley and that's what we want at Gresley. We want people who want to be here for the right reasons.

DR: Having resigned from the UniBond then, what's your next stage as the chairman and as a board?

MH: The board are now going to be working hard over the next two weeks to secure certain things at the club. We still have several paths open to us; we have three options on the table still. Two of them are administration and liquidation but let's see what happens over the next couple of days.

There is still an avenue there that we want to explore trying to keep Gresley Rovers as they are but if we have to take the decision we will take the decision. We've been brought in here to get red shirts playing on the Moat Ground next season and that's what we're here to do. We've got a lot of hard work and a lot of meetings to do with various people and hopefully at the end of the week we will have something positive to say.

DR: And one of us could win the lottery tonight and that would solve the whole problem.

MH: Yes, I keep forgetting that you have to be in it to win it so go and get some lucky dips folks and help us all you can! I was talking to a guy two days ago in a meeting and he's a football person and he's kind of sniffing around so we'll see were that goes so you never know who you're going to be talking to and once this hits the press you never know who's going to turn up.

DR: Just as a final word, the supporters this season have stood by the club haven't they really? Last Saturday's home game was the highest of the season and that just goes to show doesn't it?

MH: Yes, we've brought quite a few away with us today. Going back and you think what's been happening to this club with the last regime, how can you face those fans and not be honest with them? Their hearts and souls are in this club and they've been tremendous. They are there to help us and to see us through.

Last weekend was the future of Gresley Rovers. It's about bringing the youngsters in, bringing the Mums and Dads having a family atmosphere at Gresley because that's what we are, we are a community club and it's important to bring that in. The fans have been tremendous, just keep behind us lads and girls and we'll get there.