NOTHING could hide the bitter tone in Terry Brady's voice.

The Town chairman was not in a forgiving mood at 5pm Wednesday night as he sat with his lawyers to discuss Colin Todd's departure.

It had been the most traumatic 24 hours of his Swindon reign and he was in defiant mood.

Mr Brady revealed how he had spent most of the day talking with experts in making sure that Town would get hefty compensation.

He feels he has been robbed of a key cog in his plans for Town's future and now wants to make sure that Todd's departure does not cause too much of a blip in the club's revival.

"We took Colin Todd out of the wilderness and gave him a chance again in management," he said.

"We have done everything possible for him. We have given him 12 new players in five months, how many other managers have had that this season?

"And now we find ourselves in the bottom three of the table and suddenly he wants to go and find greener pastures. If he does not want to be with us any longer then fine, but we want to be properly compensated."

Todd was introduced to Town by Mr Brady last April as the printing tycoon was working to secure a stronghold at the struggling club.

He said last night that he was feeling let down and gutted.

"The last few months have been a waste of time," he said. "Not on our part, but in what Colin has done. He has used this club as a stepping stone to greater things.

"I am gutted. I have been badly let down by Colin. We have done everything to accommodate him. Whatever he wanted we have done for him. This is how he repays us."

Mr Brady is now looking to the future and says he will not let Todd's departure get in the way of his dream.

"I said when I first joined the club in the summer that we would be aiming for the Premier League by 2003 and that dream has not changed one bit," he said.

"We need to put this behind us, pull together and move on with our plans for the future. There are still bright times ahead for this club and we can enjoy them together."

Andy King has been put in temporary charge of the side but could be given a long stint in the hot-seat if he proves he can do the job.

"Now we have to start again and that new beginning starts with Andy King," said Mr Brady. "The search for a new manager started at 10pm on Tuesday evening, but if Andy proves he can do the job then he is in the running."

Matt Reeder