Pete McCormack: Relish is up there with the best

I would put John Relish up there with past promotion-winning managers Brian Godfrey and George Rooney, so great have been his achievements in three years at the Bath City helm.

I was sorry to hear the news he was to relinquish his duties as first-team manager on Tuesday night, but I'm pleased a man of his calibre still has a major role to play at the club.

Adie Britton's immediate appointment as boss ensures continuity and I feel his main task will be to bring a more attacking style to the side.

Since the disastrous and very costly FA Cup defeat against Aylesbury last weekend, there has been a great deal of anguish and anger around the club.

The McCormack household, like many others across the city and country on Saturday night, was not a happy place. It wasn't as bad as 'Ripping Yarns' character Gordon Ottershaw after another defeat for Barnstoneworth United, but it wasn't far off!

I tried very hard to prepare myself for a cup upset. After all they happen regularly in the FA Cup, but surely it wouldn't happen to us?

Aylesbury were two divisions below us and we were beginning to hit form. It was unthinkable that we would lose.

But by 4.51pm I had to face the fact that we were victims of a classic smash and grab by a determined underdog. They spoiled the first half, took their solitary second-half chance very well and survived a last 15 minutes in which City threw everything at them.

But that's sport and that's the FA Cup. It had happened to us before – Wimborne, Frome, Cinderford and Bideford – and we had done it to a few ourselves – Notts County, Millwall, Cardiff, Newport County, Hereford, Stevenage and Barnet amongst them.

This one hurt because City desperately needed the £7,500 prize money in a season when we are struggling to get a fully competitive squad together and we have been at the wrong end of the table since the start of the season.

We need it because every penny comes from a hard-pressed board and a hard core of supporters who keep the club afloat.

Yet look at the plight of Aylesbury. They languish in the lower reaches of the Southern league and are without a home playing 20 miles away in Chesham.

They came and beat us and good luck to them. They probably need the money more!

So where does this leave City?

Financially, it must have an impact.

Can we keep the squad we have? I doubt it. And will that pitch us into a relegation struggle?

Surely we can use this low point to try and press forward. Can we look at some more imaginative fundraising (though it has to be said that there is already a great deal of effort going in) or will the board reach out to find new investors?

Certainly, this puts more pressure on the team to win through in the Setanta Shield and FA Trophy, where there is prize money to be won.

It is sad that a piece about an FA Cup defeat is more about money than the glory of the competition. But thats where we are.

Bath City play in a professional league just one rung below the extension of the Football League that is the Blue Square Premier. It costs money to put a decent team out on the pitch.

Money matters and right now Bath City FC need a bit more.

All I can say is that we have to rally round and support the club.

The season has a long way to run. We can still push towards the play-offs and enjoy a couple of cup runs.

We will, however, have to play a lot better than the way we did against Aylesbury.

The players will be as gutted about the defeat – as we all are. All we can do is back them 110 per cent to start putting it right.

They can give the home faithful a treat on Saturday at Twerton by beating Fisher Athletic.

Let's get behind the City boys and the club. Let's look back on the defeat by Aylesbury as a real turning point.