Marcus Bignot has been sacked as manager of Chester, the club have tonight confirmed.

The 43-year-old was informed almost two weeks ago that his contract would not be renewed at the end of the current campaign but he agreed to continue in his role until May in order to ‘help and support’ the players.

However, after relegation from the National League was confirmed with last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat against Tranmere Rovers, comments by Bignot in his post-match interview are understood to have irked the club’s board and prompted them to relieve him of his duties with three matches of the season still to play.

Bignot had called for the club to ‘tell the truth’ to supporters regarding the difficult off-field circumstances and expressed concerns that club directors had ‘never once’ addressed his players regarding the dire financial situation Chester find themselves in.

Despite guiding the Blues to a 3-2 victory over Bromley on Tuesday night, the board have opted to sack Bignot, with his contract terminated with immediate effect.

Youth team manager Calum McIntyre – who has been assisting Bignot in first-team duties in recent weeks – will take charge for the remainder of the campaign.

Details of the process to find a replacement for Bignot will be released on Friday, with the club making no further comment on the sacking at this stage.

Tonight’s City Fans United statement reads: ‘Chester Football Club can today confirm that they have parted company with First Team Manager, Marcus Bignot, with immediate effect.

‘After what has proved to be a difficult season both on and off the pitch, which resulted in the club's relegation from the Vanarama National League last weekend, the club have decided to end the manager's contract to facilitate the search for a new Manager. Calum McIntyre has been put in caretaker charge of the team for the remainder of the season.’

City Fans United chairman, Dave Harrington-Wright, said: “We know that this has been the toughest season for Chester FC fans to endure since the reformation of the club in 2010, and following the board's decision last week to not renew Marcus's contract beyond the end of the season, we see little value in him remaining in the position. On behalf of the board of directors, I thank him for all his efforts and wish him the very best in the future."

On the caretaker appointment of McIntyre, Harrington-Wright, the club’s third chairman in just four months, added: "Calum has displayed tremendous qualities and has enjoyed great success leading the Chester FC Youth Academy team, on a consistent basis, and I hope everyone will get behind him during these difficult last few weeks of the season. Calum has already been carrying out coaching duties with the First Team and we are sure that this will present an opportunity for his continued development at the Club."