JOHN Fisher is to leave Shrivenham at the end of the season but says he would have stayed had he been promised a budget for 2012/13.

Fisher operated without a budget in 2010/11 after taking over in September of that campaign, but was given money to play with for this current season.

However, the club’s coffers are not well-stocked enough to back Fisher financially once the new campaign starts in August, and the boss says he does not want to manage again under those conditions.

“They said they couldn’t afford to give me a budget next year and I fully understand that and back it 100 per cent, but I can’t afford to go without,” said Fisher.

“I’m not saying I’m right or wrong for wanting it, but you need one to kick on in the Hellenic League. If I stayed next year I’d be pulling my hair out by November, and I haven’t got much of that as it is.

“If they had given me a budget, I wouldn’t be leaving.”

Fisher revealed that increased travel in the Hellenic Premier had made it harder for him to operate as a manager, and indirectly had contributed to his decision to leave.

“It’s not so much the Saturdays that are a problem, it’s the midweek games,” he said.

“It used to be that a lot of the games were within 20 minutes but now you’re looking at going to Ascot or Bracknell on a Tuesday night.

“Lads don’t mind that on a Saturday but on a Tuesday it becomes a bit of a problem if you don’t have a budget to offer them as an incentive.

“I’d worry that if I stayed, the players I’ve got there now could get picked up by different clubs and we’d go backwards.”

Nevertheless, the ex-Supermarine manager revealed he would depart the Rec with a heavy heart as he felt the first-team were showing positive signs.

“I didn’t enjoy it last season because it was hard work, but this season has been a vast improvement,” he added.

“We started to get through to the players more and they have become a bit more reliable.

“I don’t want to leave because I like the club and we had started to turn the corner.”

In his first season in charge, Fisher kept Shrivenham in the Hellenic Premier as they finished third-bottom. This campaign they have enjoyed a better time of it, currently sitting 14th heading into tomorrow’s games.

The first-team have no match scheduled this weekend. Their last game is against Shortwood on Thursday.

For more on this story see tomorrow’s Swindon Advertiser.