FC Isle of Man: Ravens sack manager Chris Bass after poor run

Chris Bass was appointed manager of FC Isle of Man in February 2020

FC Isle of Man have sacked manager Chris Bass amid a poor run of form, the club has confirmed.

It follows a disappointing run for the Ravens in their second season in the North West Counties Football League.

In a statement, the club said it had been a "very difficult decision", but the team's results had "dropped dramatically" in recent months.

The club's head of football Paul Jones has been appointed interim manager for the rest of the season.

Bass' departure follows a whirlwind first season for the club which saw the team gain promotion to the NWCFL Premier Division and lift the First Division Challenge Cup.

The team also received the Sports Ambassador of the Year award at the Isle of Man Sports Awards in April.

However, the squad have won just five of the 18 games they have played so far in the NWCFL this season.

FC Isle of Man's latest match saw them beaten 3-1 by Northwich Victoria at The Bowl stadium in Douglas on Saturday.

Bass was appointed manager of the fledgling side in February 2020, but the impact of the pandemic led to the team's maiden season in the NWCFL First Division South being delayed until 2021.

After last season's success, the team has had some heavy defeats this term, only managing to keep a clean sheet in one match so far, leaving FC Isle of Man 18th in the table.

The Ravens were beaten 3-1 by Northwich Victoria in their latest match on Saturday

A club statement said: "The subsequent step up to the Premier Division this season has been challenging and, despite a promising start to the season, results have dropped dramatically over the past couple of months and following conversations with Chris the club have had to make what has been a very difficult decision."

Thanking Bass for his efforts managing the team, the club said he would "always have a special place in Ravens' history".

FC Isle of Man chairwoman Gill Christian said it was "never easy to make a decision such as this, and it is with a very heavy heart that we have decided to make this change".

"We will be forever grateful to Chris for all his hard work and his part in leading the team to last season's successes.

"He has committed an incredible amount of time to the club, which is hugely appreciated and we wish him all the very best in his future endeavours."