In an explosive interview with the Epsom Guardian, Mick Sullivan has slammed the Leatherhead board for his managerial exit.

Sullivan was booted out of Fetcham Grove last week with chairman Peter Ashdown claiming player power had been behind his sacking.

But Sullivan refutes that idea and believes the appointment of 29-year-old Sittingbourne manager Richard Brady adds to the evidence his demise had long been in the planning.

“There are more stories coming out of the woodwork now and it seems it was all a little bit sinister,” he said.

“The new manager is a personal friend of the captain Mark Simmonds and other players and I think it has all been orchestrated since the pre-season trip to Spain.

“Simmonds asked if Brady could stay a couple of days as they were jetting off somewhere else after and it seems he made relationships on that trip and kept in contact with the chairman.

“It was all contrived and other things have come out too which suggest some of the players were not truthful to me about some things and that’s hurtful to hear.

“I have known all the players so long and to have some of them being deceitful is difficult for me but they did not want me sacked.

“Mr Ashdown asked if I wanted to resign but I didn’t see any reason for me to and he said he had to sack me then, giving the reason that players had threatened to leave the club if I wasn’t removed.

“But of the six players named to me as wanting me out, I believe only two were correct – I have since spoken to the others and they did not have a problem with me.

“They never said they were leaving the club if I didn’t go – that wasn’t the case.

“I would not have gone to the press if Mr Ashdown had not put in the paper last week that it was the players’ decision to get me out.

“I would rather have taken it on the chin but him making out it was the players I could not hold back and had to give my version.”

Simmonds was in caretaker charge on Saturday and Tuesday as Leatherhead lost 1-0 to Canvey Island and drew 0-0 at Hastings United.

Before that, Sullivan had secured this Saturday’s FA Cup second qualifying tie at Biggleswade Town by beating North Leigh 5-1 – a victory he felt would be the catalyst to turn their season around.

“There was a buzz around the ground after the FA Cup and we had been unlucky in the games leading up to that.

“We felt we were going to turn the results around but the decision was made before the FA Cup.

“If we had another forward the results would have come but I did not get the opportunity to do that.

“Leatherhead was a club I really enjoyed managing – it is a fantastic club with fantastic supporters.

“I am an Epsom lad and they were the biggest team near me when I was young.

“I went to their games all the time so managing them was an honour.”