Harwich and Parkeston Football Club's manager and chairman have quit after a planned move to a new stadium fell through.

Harwich and Parkeston Football Club are in talks to continue a sponsorship deal with the Co-op.

Rival supermarket store Lidl had previously made an offer for the Royal Oak ground but that offer now looks to have been turned down.

Instead, negotiations are taking place to keep the Co-op deal, despite a recent row between both parties over the amount of investment taking place.

But as a result of the decision to stay at the Royal Oak, the Shrimpers' manager Andy Clark and chairman Graham Firth have quit.

Mr Firth, who had been chairman for the past five years, said he had wanted to keep with the Co-op and look at moving in the future but the committee had wanted to take up Lidl's offer immediately.

But despite the decision going his way, he felt he was left with no alternative but to resign as chairman and also from the committee. He will remain one of the club's trustees.

Mr Firth said: "There was a disagreement between the committee and myself over the future relocation of the ground.

"My idea was to go along with the Co-op offer and look at the medium to long-term future of the club I felt it was such a major issue I could not continue without the backing of the committee."

He revealed Lidl's current offer fell way short of the original proposal made last year when it would have built a new ground for the club.

Mr Clark, who wanted to move to a new ground, said the current Co-op offer was also less than had been first put forward.

He added: "From a football point of view, I feel the step they have made is ill-judged, not based on business sense and they have not investigated the possibilities correctly."

John Whitmore, a trustee, said today nothing was finalised but it looked as though the club would continue with the Co-op.

A meeting has taken place with the Co-op, which "ironed out" some major problems and only a few issues remained, he added.

A spokeswoman for the Co-op said talks were continuing.

Published Monday December 17, 2001