STEVE KITRRICK has left Guiseley after the club’s underwhelming start to the season.
Kittrick took over as Lions boss in December 2007 and guided them to a sixth-place finish in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
They improved on that the following season, finishing third, but failed to secure promotion to Step 2.
That promotion did come in 2009/10 when the club pipped Boston United to the league title on the final day of the season, beating Ashton United 2-0 while the Pilgrims drew with Marine.
They have since threatened at the top of the Conference North table for three consecutive years, finishing second the past two seasons but losing out in the play-offs.
Those disappointments, coupled with a mixed start to the 2013/14 campaign (two wins, two defeats and two draws) has seen the club decide a change at the helm is needed.
Defender Mark Bower has taken over as caretaker boss at Nethermoor with immediate effect. Chris Holland, who was assistant to Kittrick, remains at the club.
A statement on the club’s website said: “Steve has brought a great deal of success in the past six years, guiding the club to the UniBond Challenge Cup and promotion to the Conference North before finishing in the play-off positions in each of the last three seasons.
“However, in the light of a disappointing end to last season and a difficult start to the current campaign, the club feels it has no choice but to move on.”
