DEPARTING Sauchie manager Fraser Duncan revealed he is gutted to be leaving the club – and says he just could not work with the Juniors’ committee.

Duncan leaves Beechwood Park after eight years, despite winning promotion this season, and blasted the new hierarchy.

And he says he is just hoping that those in charge make the right decisions for the good of the club.

Duncan told Advertiser Sport: “I am gutted to be leaving, but that is the way the committee have chosen. They make the decisions at this level and that’s what had to happen. I felt that at this moment in time I couldn’t work with the committee that’s in place at the moment and it’s as simple as that.

"For that reason I have decided to resign. I just hope they have the club’s best interests at heart like I always did. They have to make the right decisions for the club. We have done that for the last eight years and I hope they can still do that.

“The committee think they can do a better job than the previous one. They wanted to take decisions outwith my knowledge and I wasn’t up for that. That’s not the way I like to operate, and I couldn’t see myself working with them.

“If certain people weren’t there, I’d be back at the club in a minute. I hope I can come back, whether that’s in five years, 10 years or whenever. But the fans need to know that if certain people weren’t there, making decisions which I feel could be vital to the future of the club, then I would be.

"I want to come back, but I won’t while the current committee are there.”

Duncan took Sauchie from the East Region South Division to the Super League and will go down as the club’s most successful manager.

And he leaves the club on a high, having picked up the East Premier title to get back to the top flight at the first attempt.

He said: “There have been lots of highs and a couple of lows. I knew when we went down that I could build a squad to get us back to the Super League and we have done that, so I’m not really sure what the issue has been.

"I’m happy with my time at the club; I just wish it could have lasted longer. I wanted it to go on forever, but it wasn’t to be.”

The manager insisted he has no plans to quit the game, but admitted it would be difficult for him to return to Beechwood and take a place in the visitors’ dugout.

Duncan added: “I’ll sit back and take a bit of time out, but if they think I’m not going to get involved in football they’re very wrong. I just hope I don’t have to come back to Beechwood to face Sauchie.”

A representative informed Advertiser Sport that Sauchie Juniors would not be responding to Duncan’s comments.