THE borough footballing scene has been rocked by the decision to pull the plug on Brierley Hill and Withymoor FC.

The future of the West Midlands Premier Division outfit had been in doubt since the resignation of chairman Stephen Lea at the end of last season.

It was hoped the club, which was founded in 1955, would remain in business but after exhausting all possible options to get new investors to join, manager Tony Gore made the tough decision to close the club.

The news has sent shockwaves around the West Midlands footballing circuit but a dejected Gore believes it was the only course of action open to him.

He said: "Had it not been for the support we had from Steve, this would have happened three years ago.

"I've had sleepless nights over this and it is by far the hardest decision I've ever had to take during my time in football.

"It's a sad, sad day but it got to the stage where there was no other alternative and enough was enough.

"I've explored and exhausted every possible avenue and have turned every stone in a bid to get somebody into help us but it was just not to be.

"I've been emotioanlly attached to this club for 10 years and to pull the plug on it was a real sickener but I couldn't run the club on my own.

"We had enough money to keep us afloat until Christmas but I just couldn't see where we would find the extra £4,000 to keep us going until the end of the season and with that uncertainty I thought it would be unfair on the players and Lye Town, where we were planning to groundshare."

The end of one chapter is the beginning of another for Gore after he was installed as new manager of Dudley Sports.

He will be joined at Hillcrest Avenue by Paul Blakeley who will act as joint manager.

The pair will take over following the shock resignation of Neil Perks last week.

Blakeley held a similair role at the club alongside Perks last season before it was decided the pair would go their separate ways in April.

A host of last years Brierley Hill and Withymoor's squad are now set to follow their former manager and make the move to Sports.