Stafford Rangers chairman Mike Hughes believes that Chris Brindley was worn down to the point of no return before his resignation as manager.

Brindley quit the club yesterday after 22 months in charge and issued a statement, in which he cited “constant and personal criticism” from a section of fans on internet forums, along with the burden of managing a big club with high expectations that had fallen on hard times, as the reasons for his departure.

He went on to add: “My job here is done and it’s time for a change.

“It seems that I will only ever get this club in the lower regions of the Blue Square North and that is not good enough to appease a club with such a strong fan base.

“I hope that genuine football people recognise the work I’ve done here on a shoestring budget for this level of football.”

Hughes was the first point of call when Brindley made up his mind to leave, but will not have a chance to discuss the situation with other board members face-to-face until tomorrow night’s monthly general meeting.

The chairman admitted his decision has not come as a total shock, after barracking from supporters started up again with a FA Cup exit at home to Eastwood, before they were thumped 4-0 at Hinckley last Saturday.

But Hughes expressed his dismay that their manager felt so under pressure that he felt the only answer was to quit.

He said: “It’s not come as a big surprise, not with the amount of criticism that Chris has received from various quarters. He feels that his relationship with the club has been soured.

“The board is very disappointed that the man we thought could a job for us has been put in a position where he feels he can no longer go on.

“Unless people are on the inside of the club, seeing what it’s like and what he was actually working with, then it’s very hard to judge.

“As far as I am concerned, he did a superb job for us but it has took a lot out of him.”

Brindley’s successor will be top of the agenda when the board meet tomorrow night, when what was once one of the top job’s in non-league football could well be decided.

But the Stafford Rangers of today have to operate with one of the lowest budgets in the division, with a wage bill for players of under £2,000 a week.

And Hughes warns it will not be any different for the next man in charge.

He said: “Whoever takes the job is going to have the same constraints that Chris was working under, that’s the name of the game.

“It’s not going to be a piece of cake, he was working under pressure all of the time because we haven’t got the resources under our current circumstances.”