MARK Saggers has criticised Royston Town after he and his assistant Brian Cannon were fired as the club s management team. The Crows have appointed Enfield Town coach Phil Snowden to replace Saggers, but it was the manner of his sacking which angered the

MARK Saggers has criticised Royston Town after he and his assistant Brian Cannon were fired as the club's management team.

The Crows have appointed Enfield Town coach Phil Snowden to replace Saggers, but it was the manner of his sacking which angered the former Crows boss.

"It's disappointing they didn't tell us that they were giving the job to someone else" he said.

"You shouldn't be appointing a new manager until you've told the old one.

"I think the least we deserved was a bit of honesty after helping them last year when they didn't have anyone to run the side a week before pre-season training started.

"I've heard the rumours for months, and all we wanted was for them to be a little more professional.

"For Brian to find out from his son, who had been told by another player, is unacceptable. It's no way to treat someone."

The Crows struggled through most of last season, only securing their place in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division a week before the end of the campaign, but Saggers believed that he and Cannon had done as well as could have been realistically expected.

"We were frustrated throughout last season because we didn't have the resources to bring any players in.

"But we had a decent FA Vase run, and kept them in the Premier Division."

Saggers intends to resume his playing career, and admits he is not disappointed to be leaving Garden Walk:

"It's done me a favour as I was thinking about playing again" he said.

"It could have been handled better, but I have no problem if they want to make a change.

"I would have felt guilty if I'd walked away, but I missed playing.

"I've already been approached by four other clubs regarding managing them, but I'd like to give playing one last go."

Crows' chairman Graham Phillips disputed the claim that Snowden had been appointed before Saggers and Cannon had left the club, and said that the decision was a mutual one.

"We didn't speak to Phil until last week, after Mark and Brian had said they didn't want to carry on" he said.

"We have a great deal of time for both of them, and they did a good job after stepping in last year, but the club's committee felt it was time to make a change."

Snowden will become the Crows' sixth manager in seven seasons and he leaves Enfield Town having helped them to six trophies during their five years in existence.

His son Stuart played in the heart of the Royston defence last season.

CANNON: THIS WAS A DONE DEAL

FORMER Crows assistant boss Brian Cannon says he was disappointed not to be given a second season in charge at the Garden Walk club.

"We were drafted in last summer, but we took the job on when they were in real trouble" he said.

"We inherited a side that weren't setting the world on fire, and we had no funding, but we did what they asked, which was to keep them up.

"It would have been nice to have had another go at it, and be able to build a side over the summer."

In common with Saggers, Cannon was critical about how the Crows' management committee had dealt with his sacking.

"There's a proper way of doing things, but they seem to shoot themselves in the foot far too often," he said.

Having heard rumours that Phil Snowden would be taking over as boss at Garden Walk, Cannon had the news confirmed by his son Ryan, who was told by the daughter of club president Alan Barlow.

"When Ryan came home and told me that Phil had the job, I said that it would have been nice to have been told, as we still believed we were running the side," he said.

"It was a done deal that Phil was taking over long before we were fired. I could have lived with the fact that they wanted a change of direction, it's just the way they went about it."

The Crows have claimed that Cannon and Saggers resigned for personal reasons, but Cannon disputes that claim.

"You can only look at it as a sacking," he said. "They said it was for disciplinary reasons because we weren't the best of friends with the referees, and it was affecting the games and how they were reffed.

"But I've been games where the other bench was far worse, and I don't think it was a valid reason - we were capable of dealing with that."

Having spent a year at Royston, Cannon admits he's in no rush to take a similar job.

"I enjoyed doing it, despite the results, but I doubt I'll ever do something like it again. I'd like to watch some other games in the area, and a lot depends on what Ryan does next season, as I'll always want to watch him.

"I'll still play for the vets team, and I wish Phil all the best - I'm sure he's a bit embarrassed about the way it's been handled.

"I don't wish the club ill, I'm a Royston lad. I just wish they'd handled it better.