HOLT United chairman Terry Bradford said he felt “gutted” over the club’s shock decision to resign from the Dorset Premier League.

The Petersham Lane outfit, who finished third and lifted the League Cup last season, will look to run one side in place of their reserve team in Division One of the Bournemouth FA Saturday Hayward League, citing the departure of their management team and financial reasons for the drop.

Boss Phil Brown stood down with only six players prepared to commit for next season after number two Keith Whatling agreed to take the reins at Hamworthy Recreation and fellow assistant Gary Claire left the club.

The move brings an end to the Bulls’ successful 12-year stint in the league which has seen them win one championship and three league cups.

Bradford told the Daily Echo: “I feel gutted really. It happened to us before and it took a long time to work our way back. I do feel sad but we have a strong reserve side and hopefully we can come back again.

“I have been there a long time and it hurts a bit but it is an accumulation of everything. The main thing is that we need new blood in to push the club forward but you just don’t get the people anymore.”

Meanwhile, former Wimborne Town boss Alex Pike, who has since led Gosport Borough to a double promotion to the Conference South, revealed his surprise at seeing the club that gave him his first managerial job fall on hard times.

Pike said: “We had a reunion there only three weeks ago and there was no indication of what was going to happen. It is quite sad because I know how much the club means to everyone there and they have always been ambitious.”