In a highly unusual twist in the lower reaches of English football, Ramsgate have parted company with manager Lee Martin after criticising him for not spending enough of the club’s playing budget.

Martin, a former Manchester United prospect, was appointed to steer Ramsgate away from relegation danger in the Isthmian Premier Division. By the club’s own admission, he did exactly that. Results improved, Ramsgate climbed into mid-table security, and at one point even flirted with the playoff places. The team also reached the Isthmian League Cup final, losing narrowly 1-0 after extra time to Wingate & Finchley.

Yet Ramsgate’s board chose to highlight what most managers would consider a virtue: financial restraint. In a detailed statement, the club said that a “challenging recruitment period” in the run-in had left the playing budget “significantly underspent” over the final six weeks of the season. That spell coincided with a slump in form, with six defeats in seven matches, including the cup final loss.

The hierarchy framed the decision as part of a broader strategic shift rather than a knee-jerk reaction to results. They stressed an ambition to push beyond their current Step 3 status in the non-league pyramid and mount a serious bid for promotion to Step 2. To do that, they argued, Ramsgate need a manager willing and able to fully utilise the resources on offer.

The club also pointed to a new long-term football strategy, shaped in part by committee member Seb Tidey, who is set to step down at the end of the season. Ramsgate said they would now “explore the market” to find a manager aligned with that plan, while praising their supporters and vowing to match their ambition.

For Martin, it marks a second dismissal in the same campaign, having previously been sacked by Welling. His managerial setback contrasts with a playing career that once promised much. Signed by Sir Alex Ferguson for Manchester United in 2005, he never established himself in the first team, spending time on loan at Royal Antwerp and later carving out a solid career in the Championship before winding down his playing days at Ramsgate.

Now, the club he helped stabilise is looking for a new leader, and Martin is left as the rare manager dismissed not for overspending, but for leaving money on the table.