NON-League Bashley have today made national Internet headlines  – for sacking a manager for “a poor pre-season”.

 News that Steve Riley has returned to the Southern One South & West club after three years away with AFC Totton has been overshadowed by the departure of ex-Chelsea defender Dave Stride after just 40 days in the job.

 When contacted by BBC Sport, Stride, appointed by Bashley’s previous regime on June 17, took issue with a club statement saying he had been asked to step down as first-team manager by the new board because of “poor pre-season results and lack of player signings.”

 Branding it “absolute codswallop”, the Lymington-based 57-year-old, who made 35 appearances for Chelsea between 1978 and 1980 and also played for Leyton Orient and Millwall, claimed: “The club already had someone in mind to replace me, but waited two weeks before telling me.

 “I’ve no hard feelings but, sadly, the club weren’t man enough to tell me earlier.

 “I was given the guarantee I’d be left alone for a season to take sole charge of football matters, but I’m gone after just two games.”

The statement on Bashley’s website said: “Following a run of poor pre-season results and lack of player signings, the new board at Bashley decided to ask David Stride , who had been brought in to manage the New Forest team at short notice, to step down as first team manager.

 “The new board acted swiftly to engage the services of Steve Riley, the most successful manager that Bashley has had, taking the team previously from the South & West into the Premier Division.”