PLAYER-manager Steve Claridge has been sensationally sacked by Weymouth Football Club.

The veteran striker was shown the door at the Wessex Stadium after the Terras' shock FA Cup exit at lower league Thame United last night.

Chief executive Martyn Harrison decided to wield the axe after Claridge's team slumped to an embarrassing 2-1 third qualifying round replay defeat at the Windmill Stadium.

The loss against the Ryman League side - who play two divisions lower than the Terras - meant the club missed out on a lucrative £5,000 windfall and a potentially money-spinning FA Cup run.

The decision was announced to the former Leicester City and Portsmouth striker and popular television and radio pundit in a meeting at the Oxfordshire ground late last night.

Neither Weymouth Football Club or Claridge, who was said to be astonished at the decision, were available for comment today.

But a source close to the board told the Echo: "Steve was told that he was being sacked immediately after the game. He was stunned by the decision."

Terras bosses are expected to make a statement after they discuss the terms of Claridge's departure in a behind-closed-doors meeting tonight.

One sticking point to the 38-year-old's exit could be the financial implications of the move.

Claridge has four years left on a five-year deal, worth an estimated basic £52,000 a year.

Harrison's decision ends a rollercoaster 15 months at the Wessex Stadium for the ex-Millwall star.

Claridge arrived at the club in June last year after being appointed to a five-year-deal by former chairman and friend Ian Ridley.

The decision seemed to have paid off as Weymouth surged to the top of the Dr Martens Premier Division by Christmas. But a disappointing end to the season saw the Terras miss out on promotion to rivals Crawley Town.

Harrison's arrival as chief executive and Ridley's departure a few months later led to speculation Claridge could soon be on his way.

And the player-manager's cause was not helped after Weymouth started the new season badly with several new recruits under-performing.

Fans started to turn on Claridge earlier this month, criticising him for spending too much time on his media punditry work.