LEGENDARY Poole Town manager Tom Killick has been sacked by the club.

Having led Dolphins from the 10th tier of English football to as high as the sixth, Killick departs BlackGold Stadium just over a month into his 20th season at the helm.

The decision was finalised just hours after ex-Dorchester forward Killick guided Poole to a 3-0 victory over Barnstaple Town in the FA Cup, in what proved to be his final match in charge.

His exit comes after a sluggish start to the season, Dolphins sitting in seventh in the Southern League Premier South and the eight-point gap to leaders Merthyr undermining pre-season expectations of a title fight.

After a faltering beginning to last term they recovered to finish in the play-offs, knocked out by Truro City at the semi-final stage.

But another false start this year proved costly for Killick after 975 games in charge of the Tatnam Farm outfit.

The 54-year-old started his playing career with Poole as a teenager, going on to become non-league player of the year in 1992 after scoring twice for Wimborne Town at Wembley when they won the FA Vase.

He returned in the twilight of his career, playing here and there during Poole’s years in the wilderness of the Hampshire Leagues, whilst embarking on his coaching journey as assistant manager at Salisbury to both Taffy Richardson and Nick Holmes.

In May 2004, he was asked to once again return to Dolphins, replacing the outgoing management team of Dean Mooney and Paul Morrell.

Poole began life in the Wessex League the following August, going on to rack up 103 points in Killick’s first season as manager, although that was only good enough to finish as runners up to Lymington Town in the Wessex’s second tier.

Six seasons in the top-flight of the Wessex League followed, Poole winning the Wessex Premier three years on the trot between 2009 and 2011 as ground grading prevented Dolphins from promotion to the Southern League.

Their final season in the Wessex Premier coincided with a long run in the FA Vase, Dolphins faltering one game away from Wembley as they were knocked out by holders Whitley Bay in the semi-final.

Having played for Poole at the old stadium in the Southern League, Killick pledged on his appointment to return Dolphins back to their rightful home in the footballing pyramid.

That was achieved, and then some, with Killick going onto the become the first Poole boss to record a top-half finish in the Southern Premier League.

In fact, in Killick’s first 13 seasons as Poole boss he finished no lower than eighth, with relegation from the National South in 2018 the only time Dolphins ended the campaign in the bottom half.

After last day heartbreak in a winners-take-all clash with Corby Town at the end of the 2014-15 season, Poole missing out on the title, Dolphins returned the following year to win the Southern Premier at a canter, and with it, promotion to the National South for the first time.

Cold water was poured on an impressive fifth-placed finish in their debut season, Poole banned from competing in the play-offs with ground grading issues rearing its ugly head once more.

Momentum halted, Poole’s constant rise started to slide, with Dolphins finishing in 20th the following season, suffering relegation back to the seventh tier.

An immediate return could not be achieved via the play-offs, Killick’s charges faltering in the final against Metropolitan Police.

Two COVID-curtailed seasons later, Poole finished 10th in the 2021-22 season, their lowest finish in the Southern Premier under Killick.