ANGRY Tom Blaikie has hit out after his Kelso United committee decided to throw in the towel last week.
Blaikie, who was in his second stint at manager at Woodside Park, attempted to stop the board withdrawing from the league during a week of behind-the-scenes rows.
But following an emergency meeting on Thursday, the club announced it was pulling out of senior football – to concentrate on its Border Amateur team.
Speaking exclusively to the Border Telegraph, Blaikie said: “Some of the committee just weren’t interested in the senior team – all that mattered to them was the kids’ teams.
“The juniors is important but where do they progress to now? The Border Amateur team isn’t the answer. 
“This is a knee-jerk reaction to problems we’re having.
“We were having trouble attracting local players and we were short of numbers for this week’s match, but there were options. I asked for another week to sort something out, bring in help from Edinburgh, but they weren’t interested.
“I’ve spent seven years at Kelso and I’m sickened by what has happened.”
Despite a promising pre-season United lost their opening three league matches and their three League Cup games.
Blaikie added: “We lost a couple of good players as the season started and I didn’t find replacements.
“We lost another couple of players after that and it’s been a struggle since then. There are still some good players at the club and I believe we could have got things going again.
“It doesn’t look like we’ll get that chance now.”
Thursday’s meeting came after a week of uncertainty at Woodside Park.
On Friday morning the club released a statement. It read: “At an emergency committee meeting last night at Woodside Park it was decided that Kelso United would withdraw from the East of Scotland League and merge with Kelso Thistle.
“This team will be renamed Kelso United Thistle and continue to play in the Border Amateur League.”
Kelso’s league match with Stirling University was postponed.
And it is expected the withdrawal will be rubber-stamped by the East of Scotland League by the end of the month.
A spokesman for the East of Scotland FA told us: “Kelso United have intimated their intention to resign from the East of Scotland Football Association and the East of Scotland Football League - this will be discussed at a joint meeting of both bodies in due course.”