The search for a new manager at Clacton continues after Ian Phillips was ruled out.

As revealed by This Is Essex last week, Phillips had been lined up for a management role at the club.

But after officials realised the amount of time Phillips needed to commit to his family and work they withdrew the offer of further talks.

Phillips said: "They made a tentative approach to see if my circumstances had changed. They didn't fully understand the amount of time I need to dedicate to working some weekends and the amount of time I want to be with my family.

"They come first and while I miss football I don't miss it all the time."

It looks certain that the Seasiders' current management team of Nick Nicolaou and John Kemp will be replaced - despite completing the Jewson Division One league and cup double.

Club owner Jeff Dewing said: "Ian Phillips is not going to Clacton. We talked to him about a role at the club.

"Due to personal commitments he was going to miss five or six games in the season and that wasn't acceptable to us. We are not actively seeking a new manager, people have come to us, but we'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks."

Current boss Nick Nicolaou said: "At the moment I don't know what is happening and won't know until I have talked with Jeff.

"John Kemp and I would love to have a crack at the Premier, especially after winning the Jewson Division One and Division One Cup double. But whatever the club decides to do they will do and we will have to wait and see."

Former Colchester United star Steve Dowman had ruled himself out of the running for a string of jobs as he had been due to move to Spain to set up a soccer school there.

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