RADCLIFFE Borough owner Bernard Manning took to the dugout to take charge of team affairs this week following the resignation of manager Gerry Luczka and his assistant Peter Freakes at the weekend.

The Boro owner assumed control of the Boro side which travelled to fellow Evo-Stik Division One North strugglers Wakefield on Tuesday night, where floodlight failure led to the match being called off after seven minutes.

That came amid the fall-out of Luczka’s shock departure when he walked out of a meeting on Saturday following the postponement of Boro’s home match against Warrington.

Meanwhile, striker Adam Roscoe has left Stainton Park to re-join his former club, Chorley, as Manning said he was “disgusted” that the deal had been done without his knowledge. He also said that right back Alistair Brown had decided not to go the same way and was staying at Boro.

Luczka said he left the meeting, also attended by Manning and the players, after being told – he said for the first time – by former manager Kevin Glendon, who is fronting a consortium which wants to buy or invest in the club, that a new management team would be installed should the deal go through.

Manning, however, is disputing this and has said that Luczka had already been informed on at least three previous occasions that this would be the case and he had been happy to continue whatever the outcome.

Major shareholder and club president Manning, pictured, announced his decision to seek a buyer for the club before Christmas after running out of funds to pay players, who have received nothing since December.

Since then, at least two interested parties have come forward to bid for the club, including the consortium fronted by Glendon, who was the Boro manager for 20 years before resigning in September.

Manning has also been angered by the backlash on the club’s internet forum following the dramatic events at the weekend.

“The reason why we are at this point is because Kevin, who single-handedly ran the club previously, is no longer with us and decided to develop his business five months ago,” he said.

“From that point onward, the fundraising activities stopped. That is the reason we don’t have the money to pay players.”

He said an interested party made an offer for the club which he accepted following negotiations, but the deal was not ratified by all the Boro shareholders, some of whom then began to put their own package together to see if they could buy Manning out.

“Those negotiations are still coming to a head,” said Manning. “How the fans can say the things they’ve been saying on the website, I don’t know. It’s like all of a sudden it’s come out of the blue. I’ve been telling them for months it was going to happen.

“These people need to stop writing letters to websites and start typing letters for sponsorship and carry out other various fundraising activities. In other words, stop stirring and slagging us off and do something, if you really love this club.

“I am totally confident the players will stay, simply because I know they are happy and they trust me.

“It’s a terrible shame because ever since Kevin left he has still tried to generate funds for the club. Even at my request a few weeks ago, Kevin has been in touch with creditors and done deals which have saved the club hundreds of thousands of pounds.”

A supporters meeting has been arranged in the Boro Club for tonight, starting at 7.30pm. Boro entertain struggling Manchester rivals Trafford at the weekend.