Abingdon Town's players are threatening to stage a mass walk-out at the GLS Football Hellenic League Premier Division club following the sacking of manager Kevin Lloyd on Friday.

Last month, Lloyd reportedly twice quit the club in a row over playing budgets.

Wantage Town chairman Tony Woodward announced Lloyd had moved to Alfredian Park as part of Richard Bourne's management team. But after one game, Lloyd returned to Abingdon.

Then, last week the club announ- ced that Lloyd - brought in by the new owners, Oracle Leisure, after manager Nobby Hayward, director of football Paul Lee and first-team coach Kelvin Alexis quit in June - had been relieved of his duties "in the best interests of the club".

Keith Stopps, who had a spell in charge of Abingdon in 1998, will take over as manager at training tonight.

Assistant manager Thomas Larman junior and players Pete Culley and Craig Antcliffe took charge on Saturday as they crashed 7-0 at Shrivenham.

"We're really peeved Kevin's been sacked," said Antcliffe.

"Many of the players are only here because of Kevin and I wouldn't be surprised if ten players left, if things don't change."

The object of Antcliffe's anger appears to be chairman Tom Larman senior, who has been at the helm since the start of the season.

Antcliffe said: "Kevin Lloyd was sacked because he wouldn't pick the chairman's son, Thomas Larman."

Antcliffe also claimed the players are not being paid what they were promised, and that only about half of the first team squad turned up for their Premier Division game at Shrivenham

Antcliffe added: "Tom Larman is going to kill off Abingdon Town's long history in one season."

He also said most of the committee had resigned, leaving just the Larmans.

Another player, who asked not to be named, said: "Most of the players could have got more money at other clubs, but we wanted to play at Abingdon Town under Kevin. It wasn't about the money.

"It's a shame because we had a good team spirit. The camraderie was briliant.

"Hopefully Larman will be ousted. Everyone is fed up with him.

"We are debating whether or not to walk away from the club. The way things are going at the moment I can see Town going out of the Premier."

Lloyd said: "I did not quit twice, I resigned once due to the breaking of promises made by the chairman regarding the budget.

"I was persuaded to stay by the owners Oracle Leisure and assumed everything had been settled in the best interests of the club.

"Everything seemed fine over the past four games and I was shocked to receive a letter, pushed through my front door on Friday, dated on the Wednesday, stating that my position was to be terminated.

"I have since spoken to committee members who knew nothing of the club's decision. I would like it to be known that my commitment was with Abingdon Town and I had no intention of changing clubs.

"This will be backed up by the players I brought to Abingdon Town. I felt we had a very good squad.

"The chairman has still not had the courtesy to talk to me, and the only reason I can think of why he made the decision was because I didn't include his son Tom in last Tuesday's squad against Henley."

Lloyd, who denied claims by Larman that he was going back to Wantage, added: "It started to go wrong when I spoke to him about the budget and he started interfering in the playing side."

He said the whole experience had left him disillusioned with the game.

Martin Stephens, from Oracle Leisure, said: "We have no comment to make about the footballing side; you'll have to speak to the chair man."

Efforts to contact Larman senior have proved in vain.