Former Aldershot Town manager Tommy Widdrington says he should have left the club immediately after their FA Trophy win in May 2025, amid frustrations with the playing budget.
Widdrington, 54, instead stepped down in October 2025, 14 games into last season, with the Shots 19th in the National League.
"I should have resigned after the Wembley win," he told BBC Radio Surrey.
"The club did not monetise Wembley well enough. I was told the budget wasn't going to be changing. If anything, it was going to go down."
Aldershot's 3-0 win over Spennymoor Town in the FA Trophy final came at the end of Widdrington's second full season in charge. Earlier in that campaign, he attended a meeting in which, he says, he was told the club was in financial difficulties.
"I was aware that the club could go pop then," he said.
"It was a shock. We'd had a great first season, got to the third round of the FA Cup [against West Bromwich Albion], and must have made a lot of money out of that.
"[I thought] we were in a great position, we should be kicking on. But I had to cut my cloth.
"The first thing I did was release Rollin Menayese and brought in Dan Ellison, Luca Woodhouse and Will Armitage. Those three equated to Rollin's wage.
"They were my back three at Wembley and cost me £750 [to bring in]. That was the restraint I was working under.
"We took 19,500 people to Wembley. The first two or three home games [the next season] we had 2,500 people.
"The club should have understood, you've got a 19,500 captive audience. If you throw 10,000 season tickets out there at £100, they'll get bought.
"We're 12 months down the road [and] two managers have gone since then. I think there's two or three players left in the building from the Wembley squad and everybody thinks everything's rosy in the garden. It's not."
Aldershot Town, when approached by BBC Radio Surrey, had no comment on Widdrington's claims, but they relate to a period under previous chairman Shahid Azeem, who in December 2025 refuted rumours the club was about to go into administration.
However, current owner Deane Wood, who took over the running of the club in January, has since said he only avoided putting the club into administration due to his loyalty to the area, and says the club is likely to lose £500,000 next season, even with further budget cuts.
After John Coleman, who succeeded Widdrington, left at the end of last season, former Shots player Scott Davies is now the manager, having joined from National League South side Slough Town.
