FOOTBALL: Stabler leaves Wick and Towers quits Arundel

Stabler leaves Wick after four years at the club and he said: "It's just time for a change. I've spoken to a couple of people but I left Wick because it was just too time-consuming.

"I just didn't have the time to do it.

"My first season with Wick was hard work, with a young side, but after that I enjoyed it."

Stabler also had a spell as chairman at Wick and said: "That was hard work. Never say never but it's not a job I'd want to do again.

"I just want to manage now – and that's what I'll do in the future."

Stabler guided Wick to a fourth place finish in County League Division 1 last season. They also lifted the Brighton Charity Cup and were runners-up in the Sussex RUR Cup.

Wick chairman Keith Croft said: "Carl left very amicably and was a brilliant servant for Wick. He did a very good job as both manager and chairman and we have the utmost respect for him.

"He drove the club forward and we're hoping to continue on the same path and to keep going in the right direction."

Wick welcome applications for the manager position. Anyone interested can call chairman Keith Croft on 07932 176051.

Towers stepped down as Arundel boss over the weekend, citing he felt he had taken the Division 1 club as far as he could.

Towers, who had been at Mullets for four seasons, took them to two third-place finishes, runners-up in 2008-09 and a 12th place finish last season.

He said: "I told them at the weekend I'd be stepping down after thinking long and hard over the past month.

"I felt I'd gone as far as I could go there, although I really enjoyed my time at the club, and I would like to thank Bob Marchant (chairman), for giving me the opportunity.

"I would also like to thank everyone at the club for all their help and support – particularly the players and my staff, who have been fantastic and I wish them all well for the future.

"It's been a happy time for me here and I wouldn't want things to start turning sour. I feel it's the right time to step away and give someone else the opportunity there."

Towers also insisted he has nothing else lined up so far, but would love to try his hand at a higher level than the County League.

He said: "I've got no plans to go elsewhere at the moment, but I'd like the opportunity to have a go higher – Ryman League Division 1 South is something that interests me.

"I wouldn't have left Arundel, though, for anyone else in the County League, as I want a new challenge. Personally, I felt things for me were getting a bit stale towards the end of the season. And I would not want to start off the season and leave them in a difficult position."

Marchant said: "I'm really disappointed because I enjoyed working with Richard and it's knocked me for six because I wasn't expecting it.

"Out of all the managers, I've worked with, he's been the best – he'd run the line for the reserves, wash the kit – he was just a really good clubman and they're few and far between. I've nothing but good words to say about him."

Anyone interested in the vacant manager position can contact chairman Bob Marchant via e-mail at [email protected]

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