FORMER York City boss Chris Brass has spoken for the first time about the manner in which he was sacked by the football club.

Brass was relieved of his duties on Sunday afternoon after being asked to attend a board meeting following the 3-1 home defeat against Forest Green Rovers.

He admitted that he was gutted by the directors' decision but not surprised.

"I received a message on my answer phone at about five past five after the game but did not receive it until late in the evening as I did not want to speak to anybody and my phone had been switched off," Brass said.

"I was asked if I could go to a meeting on Sunday morning. I had made other arrangements but they expressed that they needed to see me so I re-jigged things and met the board in the afternoon.

"I was told then that they wanted to relieve me of my managerial duties with immediate effect. I wasn't surprised by the decision but I was gutted and I told them that.

"I said this situation had arisen not through the want of trying and I had wanted to make things a success but the board have to make these decisions and we have now moved on from there."

Brass has also admitted for the first time that his performances on the pitch were probably affected by the pressures of being a player-manager.

The 29-year-old defender was the Evening Press Player of the Year in his final season before taking up the managerial reigns at Bootham Crescent last summer but, since then, the man-of-the-match displays have become fewer and fewer and he has often tried to fill a variety of positions.

Caretaker boss Viv Busby is likely to install his predecessor at centre back in tomorrow's game at Woking and Brass is hoping he will now rediscover the form that made him a firm Minstermen favourite.

He said: "I'm taking away a lot of added pressure that comes with management and I only think that can help my game because it has been affected at certain times. It's difficult when you are out there in the heat of the battle and a million and one things are running through your mind.

"I knew it was going to be tough doing both roles but perhaps did not realise how tough. You get lumbered with a million and one things as the manager of a football club. At Manchester United you get the same problems but there are mainly easier solutions.

"I was devoting an abundance of energy away from the field in order to stabilise the club and, at times, I am sure that had an impact but I don't have any of them problems to deal with now."

Updated: 10:10 Friday, November 19, 2004