STEVE Johnson has resigned as Redhill boss, their 12th managerial departure in 10 years.

Redhill insist the parting was by mutual agreement, while Johnson is adamant he quit.

"I wasn't enjoying it anymore and didn't feel I had the support I needed from the club," he said.

"We were not going up and we were not going down. But I knew the club would say I left by mutual consent; that is untrue.

"I made my decision on Sunday morning after talking to my family. No one asked me to stay so I have probably made the right decision."

Johnson's exit means a dozen managers have left Redhill since 2001 – Russel Mason, Bill Tucker, Ian Daws, Jonny Franks, Mark Endsleigh, Bob Langford, Tommy Sampson, Stuart McIntyre, John Crumplin, Dean Forbes and Marcus Alcindor the others.

But Redhill chairman Andy Wheeler believes the Sussex County League outfit have just been unlucky to lose people to higher level clubs.

"I don't think we have had more managers than any other club, we have just been unlucky," Wheeler said.

"John Crumplin decided to quit just four weeks before the start of the season to go to a higher league. Bob Langford left to go to Leatherhead. I pulled off a massive coup to get Tommy Sampson in and he was building one of the best sides non-league football has ever seen, but then of course he had his stroke.

"If they get tapped up by these higher level clubs then that happens. I think they all left that way except Marcus [Alcindor] who was sacked but only after he quit and then withdrew his resignation."

Johnson took over in October after previous manager Alcindor had been dismissed following a disappointing start to the season that saw Redhill eighth in Division One and knocked out of the FA Cup and FA Vase early on.

But chairman Wheeler believes despite an uninspiring run under Johnson, who left the club in eighth – exactly where they were when he took over – Redhill were sad to see him leave.

"It is very upsetting when a manager has to leave, but you can't keep people against their will," Wheeler explained.

"I know it was a long way for Steve to travel [from Eastbourne] and he had other commitments.

"Steve rang me up on Sunday morning with his decision to quit, I was very busy at the time so I rang him back later after speaking with the board and we accepted his resignation."

Johnson left his post at Redhill after a goalless draw with Sidley United on Saturday. The former East Grinstead, Ringmer, Crowborough Athletic and Arundel manager was in charge of the Lobsters for just six months.

Rumours were circulating before Johnson's resignation that he might be replaced as Redhill manager in the summer, something Wheeler denies – stating plans were being made for the future.

"I don't know who has been saying that, but I have sat down many a time with Steve to discuss who he was bringing in next season," Wheeler said.

"I know he had been working very hard to try to bring in players, but a lot weren't available until the summer.

"If I thought it was possible to convince him to stay I might have tried but I knew it wasn't."

However in a statement on the club website from the Redhill committee, it was stated that the board had become unhappy with what they believed was lack of ambition from Johnson.

"The board have become increasingly uneasy about a number of issues relating to the playing side, including a failure to demonstrate ambition for the future, by building for next season," it read.

"From the supporters' point of view, the senior officers have been left under no illusions about their views on the match-day selection and have voted with their feet, with the club seeing all time low gates in recent weeks."

Johnson believes he did the best he could with the resources available.

"If they thought I had been sitting on my hands indoors they are so wrong," he said.

"When I joined the club I had to lose 14 or 15 players and my budget was cut three times, but we are still eighth in the table and I gave eight or nine youth team members their debuts.

"It would have been nice to have some thanks for what I have done."

Redhill are keen to get promotion to the Ryman League, but Johnson doesn't believe that will happen while the club play most of their games in Sussex.

"The club talk about getting more fans through the gates, but people from Redhill have no affinity with most clubs in Sussex and would rather be playing more local teams such as Chipstead, Horley and Dorking. They should be in the Combined Counties League if they want success," he added.

Director of football Nigel Abbott, with the help of youth team boss Mike Maher, will be managing Redhill until the end of the season. They travel to Peacehaven & Telscombe on Saturday.