Things are getting a little bit spicy at Causeway Lane.

Matlock Town owner David Hilton has launched an extraordinary attack on the club’s leading goalscorer Jed Abbey, accusing the striker of making excessive demands and declaring that he will never play for the Gladiators again.

And when we say falling-out, we don’t mean someone has quietly unfollowed someone on Instagram.

Hilton says the 24-year-old will be released from his contract for gross misconduct after Abbey published a lengthy statement on social media accusing the club of mistreating him following a request for a new deal.

It’s the latest bit of drama at Causeway Lane, coming just weeks after Hilton announced he was looking to sell the Derbyshire club following the departure of former manager Lewis Duckmanton.

Abbey, who says he has scored 15 goals in 21 appearances this season, claims he was banished to the reserves, booted out of the first-team group chat and later told he wouldn’t be paid for a reserve fixture after asking for an improved contract.

Hilton, however, has a rather different version of events.

Speaking in an interview published by the club following Saturday’s defeat to West Auckland Town, the owner claimed Abbey was already one of Matlock’s highest-paid players and had asked for a new deal just two months into his existing contract.

According to Hilton, that contract already contained an option for another year.

“He’s on extremely strong money, money that clubs at higher levels can’t even compete with,” he said. “Part of that was because we wanted to attract him to this level. There’s a decent player in there.”

Hilton said Abbey argued that being the club’s best player and the league’s leading goalscorer warranted more money.

“He’s already one of our top earners. It’s no secret that we pay well at Matlock, so you can imagine what one of the top earners here is on,” he said.

“The conversation bothered me. I explained it to the gaffer and asked him to keep an eye on the situation.”

Connor Washington enters the chat…

Things apparently escalated after a County Cup fixture in which Abbey was named among the substitutes, with former Championship striker Connor Washington returning to fitness.

Hilton claimed Abbey’s agent subsequently contacted him asking for another discussion about his contract and assurances over his place in the team.

“The agent said Jed wanted to discuss a potential new contract and wanted assurances that, now Connor Washington was fit again, Jed would either start alongside him or ahead of him. There were just demands,” he said.

Hilton said he eventually told Abbey he might be better off finding another club.

According to the owner, the striker responded by saying he was prepared to stay on his existing wages until the right move came along.

“There’s a lot of money coming down the football pyramid, and there’s a lot more money in non-league football than there used to be,” Hilton said.

“Unfortunately, that can bring egos with it.”

Ouch.

From top scorer to the reserves

Hilton claims Abbey was subsequently told to train with the reserves but refused to sign the registration documents required to play in their league.

The owner said the striker was then given a written warning and fined a week’s wages, with his alleged conduct treated by the club as gross misconduct.

Then came Saturday.

Abbey published his version of events on X, and judging by Hilton’s response, it didn’t go down well at Causeway Lane.

“It seems to me that a player who wants a new contract, and is disappointed he didn’t get one, has thrown his toys out of the pram and put out a statement criticising people at the club, probably including me,” Hilton said.

“I haven’t fully digested it, to be honest. But it only confirms to me that I was right in the decision we made.”

He then held up Washington as the example of the sort of player he wants at the club.

“No player will ever be bigger than this club,” he said.

“We have Connor Washington, whom we took out of the Championship, and he’s a complete professional. He runs all day, is punctual and on time, and doesn’t phone with demands.

“That’s an example of what we want at this football club. Jed Abbey is exactly the opposite.”

And if there was any doubt about whether bridges might eventually be rebuilt, Hilton promptly took a flamethrower to what was left of them.

“He won’t play for this football club again,” he said.

“He will be released from his contract for gross misconduct, based on the statement he issued this afternoon. That is the final straw for the football club.”

Abbey tells a very different story

Abbey’s account paints a contrasting picture.

In his statement, published on November 7, the striker said his request for a new contract was rejected before he was informed that he was no longer considered a first-team player.

He claims the demotion was directly connected to his contract request and alleged that he was removed from the first-team group chat by the manager.

Abbey said he accepted the decision to train with the reserves and attended training on Wednesday, November 4.

He claims he was then instructed to attend Saturday’s reserve fixture as an unused substitute, before being told after arriving that he was no longer required and wouldn’t be paid.

The 24-year-old also alleged that he was pressured to leave his contract within 24 hours of being removed from first-team duties.

“I was confused, surprised and even shocked how things escalated so quick,” he wrote.

Abbey also alleged that he had been told not to contact a club official and accused members of staff of making false statements about him.

He suggested there had been a plan to remove him from the wage bill, although he acknowledged he did not know the precise reason.

Those claims are disputed by Hilton and have not been independently established.

Despite the exceptionally messy ending, Abbey thanked Matlock supporters for backing him.

“Dear Matlock fans, I wish you all the absolute best in the future but I pray you find a way out of this mess that you have to endure,” he wrote.

Hilton’s assessment?

“There is no mess. It’s nonsense.”

So that’s cleared that up, then.

And there’s still the small matter of the football

While all this has been going on, Matlock Town also has some actual football matches to worry about.

Nathan Haslam has recently taken charge as manager, with Hilton admitting performances haven’t lived up to expectations despite significant investment in the squad.

“It’s frustrating for me, obviously, putting money into the club and not getting the results we expect,” he said.

The owner also acknowledged that Matlock’s playing budget had climbed higher than originally intended after further players were brought in to cover injuries.

Hilton says Haslam has been given freedom to reshape the squad, meaning there could still be plenty of movement in and out of Causeway Lane.

He has effectively conceded that Bradford and Dunston are too far ahead to catch at the top but believes the Gladiators can still make the play-offs.

“We accept we’re too far behind Bradford and Dunston,” he said.

“Do I think we’ll make the playoffs? I think we will. We have to aim for that. In my opinion, we’re in a mini-league for third place.”

There could be changes off the pitch too, with Hilton saying extensive work may be needed at Causeway Lane next summer to meet new ground-grading requirements.

So, to recap: the club is up for sale, there’s a relatively new manager, their leading scorer is heading for the exit after a very public row, the squad could be rebuilt again and the ground might need major work.

Just another quiet week for Matlock Town, then.