LES Palmer and Matt Lowe have become the latest players to leave Bromsgrove Rovers and could spark a mass exdous from the club.

Crowd favourite Palmer has joined Midland Alliance side Oldbury United, where he enjoyed a loan spell earlier this year, and goalkeeper Lowe will join him in the near future.

The pair follow Paul Danks out of the Victoria Ground after the striker left for Oldbury's Alliance rivals Willenhall Town last week.

Palmer said his decision was for personal reasons, adding: "The club was tremendous and the fans were brilliant. That's the highest I have ever finished at that standard."

Richard Burgess and Steve Pope could also be moving away from Rovers as the close season merry-go-round gathers pace.

Burgess, top scorer last season, has been linked with a move to home town club Stourport Swifts, while central defender Steve Pope is believed to be a target of Solihull Borough.

Both players seem unlikely to get improved offers at the Victoria Ground as new boss George Rooney has made it clear no money is available for pay rises.

He said: "We have got to stick rigidly to the budget set down by the club last season. The club has got to walk before it can run.

"We can't go out on a limb financially with any player. Everybody is up for grabs."

Chairman Tom Herbert added: "If people don't want to play for the club then they can go as far as I am concerned."

Rooney is also hoping to wrap up a deal for the reserve team management later this week.

Efforts to bring in former player Maurice O'Connell and Kevin Broadhurst failed last week, much to Rooney's dismay.

"I was bitterly disappointed," he said. "They would have been my dream team but they have both got commitments. Kevin has agreed to assist when possible."

The former Worcester City manager is also keen to appoint from within the Bromsgrove area to keep local interest in the reserve squad.