St Francis manager Jimmy Harte and his entire technical staff have parted company with the first division club in a dispute over the way the team was being run.

While insisting that the decision to depart was entirely unconnected with recent results, Harte yesterday strongly criticised members of the club's management committee for their attitude towards the players.

"These lads are amateurs yet they turn up for training up to three nights a week and then play one or even two matches at weekends. In the circumstances it is completely over the top to question their commitment.

"It has even been suggested that some of them are not injured when they say they are. It's amazing stuff from people who in many cases are not football people at all. I'm not paid myself and I'm just not prepared to put up with it any more."

The club issued a statement yesterday saying that it would meet to appoint a successor to Harte as soon as possible.