OUT-GOING York City caretaker-manager Viv Busby was not happy about the way his departure was handled by board.

The directors began the search for a prospective new manager after Busby offered his resignation following the 3-0 FA Trophy defeat at Burton Albion.

However, at that time he indicated that he would like to stay on as coach.

Since then he said he felt he had been cold shouldered by the board and that relations had become 'frosty' and regular telephone calls had stopped.

He said: "There's a saying in the game that you can smell a rat and I could smell one."

Busby believes he is leaving the club in a healthier position than when he arrived in mid-September.

He said: "The players have been up and down in terms of performances but they have been a credit to work with. I've had a lot of phone calls from them and Kevin Donovan said he wishes he had come across me earlier in his career which is a superb thing to hear from such a senior pro.

"I've loved every minute of it. It was a dream come true to come back to the club even though I've had no money to spend and there was no magic wand. The playing staff did not change apart from one or two loan players but we are now seven points clear of relegation and I believe I am leaving the club in a better position.

"I hope I have lifted the place and I took the girls in the office for a meal on Tuesday night because I knew what was going to happen. I just wish everything could have ended differently because I wanted to stay until I felt I had completed the job I wanted to do here."

Updated: 10:31 Friday, February 11, 2005