THE man hailed as a saviour of AFC Darwen has been sacked after a row with his directors.

Manager Dennis Hill was shown the door at the weekend despite helping resurrect the club after it was wound up as Darwen FC in May.

After the demise of Darwen FC, Mr Hill and his friend Derek Slater stepped in to re-launch the club, one acting as manager and the other as chairman.

Mr Hill said he felt ‘betrayed’ that he had been sacked after putting in ‘countless hours’ on a voluntary basis, not only managing the first team but also setting up junior teams, mowing the pitch and washing kits.

He said he was dismissed after receiving a text message summoning him to a meeting. He said it followed a falling out with another director.

Mr Hill, a postman, said: “They said they couldn’t work with me anymore.

“When the club folded we took it over together and now that’s over.

“I put so much work in and supported the club from the bottom up. I feel very badly treated.”

He said he would continue his work with the club’s under-12s until the end of the season.

Mr Slater said ‘things had not worked out’, adding ‘we had to make a change’.

He said: “Sacking Dennis was a very sad day for me but it had to be done. It was the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make. I thought we would go on and on for ever.

“There was a falling out and people got upset but now we have to move on.”

As many as 13 children’s teams were set up at Darwen after moving from Knuzden Juniors.

The club was also working to upgrade the Anchor Ground, and putting in new changing rooms.

In May, 134 years of footballing history ended when Darwen Football and Social Club Ltd was wound up over a £13,000 bill for beer and £9,000 for tools, related to the tenure of a previous boss of the club.

The club then dropped out of the Vodkat League and had to ply their trade under the title AFC Darwen in the West Lancashire League.