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Matlock Town owner David Hilton has released the following statement after the departure of manager Graham Drury.
“Firstly, I must apologise. The decision to appoint Graham was mine and mine alone.
Graham has enjoyed success in both the Southern League and the Northern Premier League, and I have long admired his ability to create togetherness and a strong bond within squads. He has consistently achieved results on modest playing budgets.
I had previously tried to bring Graham to Ilkeston and twice to Matlock without success. This time, however, he approached me. He expressed interest in joining at the time of Adam’s departure and attended the semi-final. He understood that had Ryan been successful, he would have retained the managerial position permanently. Shortly after the defeat to Bradford, Graham contacted me and we discussed plans for the season ahead.
I do not usually discuss figures publicly, but I believe full transparency is important in this instance. Last season our playing budget averaged around £12,000 per week and, at times when many players were injured, exceeded £14,000. The club’s sustainable level, based on an average crowd of 700, is approximately £5,500 per week. The shortfall was covered personally by me, not as a loan, so there was no financial risk or debt placed on the club. While we created many fond memories and recorded an excellent points total, we ultimately fell short — and nothing else matters.
This season the budget was reduced to £7,000 per week, rising closer to £9,000 with additions to the existing contracted players. The aim was to build a winning mentality by recruiting hungry, committed players who would fight for the badge every week. Our players last season gave a great deal, but we felt something was missing. I believed Graham would be the gel to bring the squad together and the right man to recruit his own players and provide the long-term consistency every club owner desires.
When Graham’s contract was signed, every detail was thoroughly discussed. He was fully aware we were planning for the East division — something the projections had always indicated. His proposed solution to the increased travelling for a proportion of fixtures was to move training to Loughborough and reduce it to once a week on a Thursday, with coach travel provided for away games. This was agreed and fully supported by the club. Graham repeatedly assured us that he had players lined up and that negotiations were progressing well. As recently as last night, he messaged me ahead of a radio interview, saying how much he was looking forward to the season.
"Earlier this week, I was informed by several players that Graham was struggling to secure commitments. Many players had been released on his instructions from last season, while others had moved to higher-level clubs. A significant number were unable to accommodate the relocation of training further south. Nevertheless, we trusted Graham and believed he would deliver.
Today’s events have come as a complete shock to myself, my staff and the board. I am extremely disappointed by how this situation has unfolded, having placed full faith in a man who had previously shown nothing but honesty and integrity.
I can confirm the club will inevitably face financial consequences as a result of decisions made since Graham signed his contract. These include the loss of valuable playing staff, the potential loss of our training facility, reduced sponsorship and season ticket income, and lost revenue from pre-season friendlies (many of which Graham had rearranged against teams further south).
I apologise again — to our supporters, my hard-working staff and volunteers, and the board of directors — all of whom deserved far better. But this is football.
Moving forward, I want to thank everyone who has supported me at the club. I understand that the move to private ownership was not welcomed by everyone, and I have made mistakes. However, I have supported the club financially as promised. We carry no debt, and while I have funded the club heavily, it owes me nothing.
On that basis, and under the current scrutiny, I am prepared to offer the club back to the supporters if there is sufficient interest. Anyone wishing to pursue this would need to come forward with a credible plan demonstrating how the club could operate sustainably with significantly lower overheads, returning day-to-day control to the fans.
If the support remains, I am still happy to continue, face the challenges head-on, and fund the club as we strive to get back to where we need to be.
Finally, while I will clearly learn from my mistakes, I want to reiterate that nothing was overlooked in our negotiations with Graham. Nothing has changed on our side — Matlock has not moved, and we remain in the division we were always projected to be in. Neither I nor the club can predict another person’s actions, especially when they are entirely unexpected.
We will now move quickly to appoint a new manager and recruit players as soon as possible."