Nikki Bull has revealed he agreed a new deal to stay on as Margate boss but that the club are no longer in a position to honour the contract.

Bull was appointed boss until the end of the season after Terry Brown's sacking in December, but says earlier this month he signed a two-and-a-half year contract.

The club held back on making an announcement about Bull's long-term future and, following the news last Wednesday that owner/chairman Bob Laslett was standing down, the 34-year-old former keeper admits he feels misled.

Speaking after Monday's 1-0 home defeat to Concord, Bull accused the club of pulling the rug from under him and described the last month as probably his most difficult in football.

Bull, whose side have lost their last seven league games, explained:"I was approached at the end of January (about the manager's job), by the CEO (Chris Pope). I was told Bob and the board wanted me to stay long term and they made me a contract offer.

"At that time I was offered the opportunity to go elsewhere which I turned down, in part due to being told that this club was the future for me.

"I agreed with that and wanted to be loyal towards the club. I've had a fantastic two years here so we agreed a contract which I signed.

"Now obviously I'm being told I won't be here next season because the club is going in a different direction and they will not be honouring my contract.

"I just think the whole thing's been handled not very well over the last four to six weeks. Footballers can take bad news, they just need the truth.

"Hand on heart this has been the toughest month I've ever had in football dealing with everything. I would say the warning signs for me were probably the week before we beat Chelmsford away (February 20).

"Communication started to go, certain things I was told would happen, didn't. Then the players got paid late. Players started hearing rumours and I was asking the club every week to clarify the rumours and uncertainty that was going on around the club but they didn't and the silence was deafening.

"One minute I was sitting down with the players talking about next year and the next I was being told the club were going in a different direction and I wouldn't be the manager.

"The players were told three weeks ago that I wouldn't be in charge next year after being told at the start of February that I would."

Bull says he remains committed to keeping Margate in Vanarama National League South, but he claims things could have been so much better had the situation been handled differently.

He explained: "I think we've given up the opportunity to do something special this season with the group that we had.

"We got rid of a few players with the intention of bringing in four or five good players to get us over the line but that didn't happen.

"I was really looking forward in the summer to getting my own players in, I was looking at training facilities all sorts.

"My whole management style when I got the job was I wanted to be enthusiastic, I wanted to have a real care for my players and have a good communication with them but ultimately I think that with the events that have gone on over the past four or five weeks that's been sabotaged.

"I was telling the players one thing and getting assurances that what I was telling them was the right thing and ultimately it comes out that it wasn't and now there are going to be players in the dressing room feeling short changed."

Bull plans to sit down with Gate officials in an attempt to resolve his contract situation, but he says whatever happens the future of the club remains the most important thing.

He added: "Margate is bigger than me, it's bigger than the players, it's bigger than Bob, it's bigger than the new chairman. As long as the club's all right in the long term that's the main thing because they've got some real good people round this club - I just hope the club's okay long term."

The club declined to comment when contacted on Tuesday morning.