Widnes announce shock departure of promotion-winning manager

Ellison first took charge of the club in September 2022 before leading them to a top-half finish in his first full season in charge.

They went on to further improve this season and were crowned champions of the NPL West Division on the final day of the season after defeating Trafford 1-0, in front of a club-record home crowd of 882.

The club say they were unable to offer Ellison a specific playing budget as they continue to deal with a number of off-field issues.

Last week, the Whites confirmed that a planning application for the redevelopment of the former Corpy Club had been withdrawn.

They currently play their home games at the DCBL Stadium but have long sought to move to a permanent, club-owned stadium.

The ambitious plans, which were first brought to the table more than six years ago, have been shelved due to "rising building costs" which led to the scheme being deemed "unviable".

A club statement confirming Ellison's departure read: "We owed it to him, his staff and the players to be honest about our current position and not keep him dangling with empty promises we may not be able to keep.

"Ello has been fantastic for us, and we are convinced his ability to win the NPL West title with an average budget won’t go unnoticed and he will make strides up the football pyramid.

"He is one of the hardest working Managers in football and has set the bar for any future Widnes FC manager.

"The club would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Ello, his staff and all of the players who turned the club around since they came to Widnes over two-and-a-half season ago, with the club in serious relegation trouble.

“The turnaround has been remarkable, and they deserved all the credit that came their way.”