Truro City assistant manager Dave Newton has annoucend his retirement from football at the age of 62.

He informed the club's players of his decision on the coach back from Eastbourne at the weekend.

City manager Lee Hodges said: "The long away trips in particular were just becoming too tiring for him.  He wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.  He loves the players and everyone involved in the club but the journeys have been taking their toll.

"I am absolutely distraught and I know all the boys will feel exactly the same.  He's a very special guy and I'm gutted that he's gone.  Having him as my right hand man was one of the reasons I was glad to take on my job as player-manager.  We worked together brilliantly.

"I have done my best to persuade him to change his mind, but he is adamant that he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren.  He's still working as a football coach in South Devon College in Paignton.  He was going to retire from Truro at the end of the season anyway, but it's all just become a bit too draining for him.  I urged him to at least come to the next home game, against Dover, so that everyone could give him a good send-off, but he won't even be doing that.  That's the sort of guy he is.  You hear him from the touchline all right, but off the field he's much quieter and more reserved.

"He's a terrific guy and a great coach.  He just makes coaching look so easy.  He's been with the club for a number of years, of course, and he was telling me that in one spell as manager he won 33 games out of 36 and got the sack!

"I will be on my own for the time-being, but I am looking to bring someone in to take over in his role.  My problem is that I want and need to play at the moment, but I can't really do that if I've got no-one on the line to take over from me.  Newts' best replacements are already at the club - Jake Ash and Stewart Yetton - but they are still young and playing.  So I will have to bring someone in."