GEOFF Butler said today he was angry and hurt at the thought that he could be tossed aside "like a piece of old furniture".

"I have nothing against Ian Ridley - I don't really know him - but if he came in and replaced me and Ricky Haysom after all the work we have put in here and the difficulties we have had to put up with you can imagine how we would feel," said Butler.

The Weymouth boss, who has been re-assured by vice-chairman Mike Archer that he had not told Mr Ridley that he could bring in his own manager and that the Board were 100 per cent behind him, added: "I want people to hear my side of ther story.

"I knew nothing about all this until late on Monday night and of course I was concerned where this would leave me.

"I appreciate that the club is the most important thing, not the manager, players or supporters because in a 100 years time none of us will be here but the club will be.

"And if someone comes along with a proposal that could ensure the club's short or long term future I accept that they have to listen.

"But what I can't get my head around is why anyone should think they could come in with £30,000 and take control of a club when there is a development just around the corner that, with the present directors in charge, would bring them a new stadium and over £1m in the bank.

"I've been in professional and non-League football for 40 years as a player, coach and manager and it has taken all my experience to deal with the problems we have had here.

"I have great respect for Tony Adams and Steve Claridge as professional footballers, but you could have put them here together at the start of the season with all the problems we have had and I could guarantee they would not have done as good a job as Ricky and I have done under the present financial restrictions.

"But after all the difficulties we are now getting through it, we have turned the corner and everybody is now pulling in the same direction.

"The morale, spirit and attitude of the players, supporters and directors is as good as it has ever been as far as I am concerned and then, all of a sudden it seemed as though I was going to be kicked out as a nonentity and that makes me very angry."

Mr Archer said: "I can appreciate how unsettling all this has been for Geoff and I know Terry Bennett has already told him we are right behind him.

"I will also be having a chat with him before Saturday's game against Tamworth to re-assure him of our support. He has just started to turn things around for us and what is worrying me is that if Geoff is on a downer it will fall back onto the team just before they face a really big test against Tamworth," he added.

Archer, who took over the chair at Monday's meeting from Terry Bennett when Ridley outlined his rescue package, added: "When we were discussing his offer I did say he could bring his own people in, referring to Tony Adams and, in a few months time, Steve Claridge.

"But at no time did I say he could bring in his own manager."