A FORMER manager claimed his offer to boost Worcester City’s playing budget “fell on deaf ears” because management “didn’t want me connected to the club”.

Nick Smith, formerly in charge of Bromyard Town after being assistant to Martin Stephens there and at Archdales, said he had offered to put in £300 per week this season and £500 per week from the start of 2019-20.

He said he had tried to forge a partnership with manager John Snape “for a couple of months” prior to making the proposal to chairman Steve Goode at last Saturday’s home match with Loughborough Dynamo.

According to Smith, Goode said he had put the offer to Snape at a pre-match meeting but the chairman offered no further feedback after the match.

Smith, whose cash injection would have been part funded by a new business that offers loans, insisted he was not touting himself for Snape’s job but would have wanted to be involved at City “in some capacity”.

“I spoke to Goodey last week and said I had been trying to pin down Snapper but it didn’t seem to be happening,” said Smith, who stood down as joint-manager of Littleton two games into this season due to personal reasons.

“I said I would be prepared to offer 300 (pounds per week) and then 500 from the start of next season. At the end of the game he told me he had put it to Snapper but that was it.

“It made me think Snapper was not that bothered about moving forward with some help. They did seem to want to come back (to me). It felt like it fell on deaf ears.”

Smith argued “players and fans are getting frustrated” with recent signings who “are not quite good enough” but that his sole aim was to give “a bit of help and support”.

“I wanted to get back into football with my local side,” he added.

“I thought they needed to go back to basics with players who had been in the West Midlands or Midland League.

“They need to look at players at that kind of level. I think they are getting tunnel vision with players who have been released and not quite done it at different clubs.

“I have stood around the ground and a lot of the fans are not happy. The thing I don’t like is as soon as they get a sniff of a player released from Villa, Wolves or West Brom they are jumping on them.

“I just wanted them to realise I could help with some players but also be supportive to the club.

“Some of the players and fans are getting frustrated because they were bringing in players that are not quite good enough, they are taking a stab at people without assessing what they have.”

Asked whether he would have wanted a say on which players his money got spent on, Smith said: “I would have left it to them.

“What I wanted to do was come along and stay in the background. I would have there to be leant on.

“I could see they were on a tight budget and thought they needed a bit of help and support. I think they got wind of it and didn’t want me connected to the club.

“The only time I would go for something like that (a return to management) would be if Martin (Stephens) got a job.

“I am more of an assistant manager anyway. All I wanted to do was help them.”

Smith said he had been in talks with another club at City’s level and was not certain whether he would uphold his offer.

He added: “They didn’t come back to me. I felt like Snapper didn’t want it so why would he want it now?”

Goode acknowledged having a conversation with Smith and relaying to Snape what had been discussed but politely declined to comment further.

Snape was unavailable for comment.