DEPARTING Harrogate Railway manager Paul Marshall says he has "no problem" with Peter Binks after the reserve-team boss took over the reigns at the troubled club.

Marshall, along with his management team and the entire first-team playing squad, quit Station View in anger this week after a dispute with club officials over bonus payments.

The club have since turned to Binks and his reserve team for help, asking them to fill the void left by the mass walk-out, starting with tomorrow's Northern Counties East League premier division clash at home to Eccleshill.

Binks therefore had a tough decision, to either help out the club or side with Marshall and his men. But Marshall has put no pressure on the new man.

He said: "I spoke to Peter the other night when I resigned. I've no problem with him stepping in. I said to him he's entitled to make his own decisions as a manager and I've no problems with that."

As reported by the Evening Press, the first-team players and staff quit the club en masse after a dispute over bonus payments following their remarkable FA Cup run to the second round proper. The club committee offered less than the players thought they deserved out of the £100,000 windfall the club gleaned from their televised tie at home to Bristol City.

Marshall has spoken out against the club committee, but club chairman Dennis Bentley has now hit back, saying they would not be blackmailed.

"The players have received £19,220 (between them) in bonuses plus the £5,000 we paid on the jamboree down at Slough (FA Cup first round opponents)," he said.

He also much of the cash made by the Cup run - believed to total £166,500 in television revenue and prize money - went towards clearing debts, with the remainder being put aside for ground redevelopment up to UniBond League standard.

"Over the years the social club has kept the football club going to the tune of over £90,000 and has accrued debts in doing so," he explained. "The £100,000 we got from Sky TV was the chance in a million to clear those debts and put £50,000 aside for our application for funds for ground improvements."

Of reserve-team boss Binks, Bentley added: "He's offered to put a team together this week and obviously we plan to bring more players.

"If any (departing) player wants to talk to the committee, we're quite happy to listen. There might be individuals who feel this has gone too far and want to talk to the club."

A defeat tomorrow could leave Rail' looking over their shoulders as they are only five points off the drop zone albeit with games in hand.

Updated: 11:06 Friday, February 07, 2003