Hampton & Richmond stalwart Barrie Matthews has revealed the financial crisis that has swept the Beveree has forced players to leave against their will.

The relegation-threatened Blue Square South side recently announced they were cutting their player budgets back to what assistant manager Dudley Garner described as ‘Combined Counties League levels’.

And with Marcello Fernandes, Francis Quarm and Michael Lee-Charles all having left the club, Matthews admits it has become a turbulent situation.

He said: “The club told us that they needed to cut budgets back and they were going to ask every player to take a cut in pay.

“They have said that all the money owing to us will be paid in one lump sum in the summer.

“For me that is fine but there were obviously players here with mortgages and children and they just could not afford to do that.

“That is why I have no issue with players leaving, but the truth is everyone that is still here is pretty downhearted.”

With the Beavers without a game last weekend they received some good news with fellow strugglers Weymouth and Weston-Super-Mare failing to pick up points.

And midfielder Matthews admits the relegation scrap is still taking getting used to.

He added: “We have been used to success over the last few years but this season is a lot different.

“We have a lot of young players here now who have not encountered anything like this before, and it is up to the more experienced boys to try and keep everything as positive as we possibly can.”

Hampton, without a win since October, face a tricky February which sees clashes with mid-table Basingstoke, Welling and Bishop’s Stortford before meetings with promotion favourites Newport County and Dover.

And Matthews reckons this could be make or break.

He added: “We still have games in hand - we just need to start picking up points.

“The first three games of this month are massive, not just for the points but also confidence.

“We do not want to be going into the bigger games on the back of more defeats, and this is all down to us.”

Hampton & Richmond’s next three matches: Feb 6 Basingstoke Town (a), 9 Welling United (h), 13 Bishop’s Stortford (a)