Steve Watt is back in charge of Hythe Town after a dramatic weekend at Reachfields.

Watt resigned on Friday morning, believing he had effectively been forced out by the club’s four new board members.

However, when they subsequently quit the following day, Watt was invited back by the remaining long-standing members.

After phoning round his players, the 38-year-old agreed to return to the Isthmian South East play-off finalists.

“I was told the new board members had resigned and would I consider coming back?” said Watt. “It was literally the next day.

“I needed to speak to the players first because I didn’t want to be starting from scratch again.

“I didn’t want to leave in the first place - it was something I felt was forced on me in the circumstances.

“I’m not one to make statements I don’t mean but in this case things have changed quite dramatically.

“It’s been a mad 48 hours in terms of speaking to players and looking for new players and trying to get new players through the door.

“I’ve gone from having no club on Friday to the middle of Saturday trying to put a team together again.

“The general reaction speaking to the boys was one of happiness and being happy to give it another go.

“The players wanted to stay together.

“They want to be part of things and move forward together.

“With me going, it was the first time all these clubs with unlimited resources have had access to the players because I think generally people know they’re loyal to me.

“So it’s been an eventful weekend, to say the least, but I’m happy to say the majority of the boys want to be at Hythe.”

Watt had asked the new board members for a modest budget increase, along with a 12-month contract, stressing these were requests rather than demands.

After two weeks of silence, bar a cryptic text message in which one of the new members said he was no longer involved in the appointment of the first-team manager, Watt walked away from his second spell as Cannons boss.

He believed that was his time done at Reachfields but, 24 hours later, was back at the club.

“I couldn’t see how things could be fixed after what had gone on,” said Watt.

“The only way I could ever see myself coming back was what happened on Saturday, with the new board members resigning.

“It’s unfortunate the way things have happened because, like I said on Friday, they came in with good ideas.

“If I say something I mean it and I stand by my reasons for resigning. That was the decision I made.

“I don’t like the way it’s panned out, that people have had to leave the club for things to change, but it’s also one that if I’d wanted to leave, I’d have left last season when I was offered an unbelievable job midway through the season. I could have left then but I didn’t.

“It was an easy decision to go back, as long as the players were willing to come back, and I know the people I’m working for.

“It’s been a bizarre time.

“I don’t like how it looks outwardly but the main thing is we carry on as normal and try and hit the ground running next season.”

Players confirmed for next season are Lex Allan, Jack Steventon, Liam Smith, Josh Stirman, Frannie Collin, Ethan Smith, Morgan Williamson, Sam Itauma, Harry Miller, Shad Ngandu and Jarred Trespaderne.

Marvin Hamilton is the only confirmed departure, as he wants to play closer to home.

The first new face is former Sittingbourne and Sheppey keeper Adam Molloy, who’s joined from Southern Counties East champions Erith & Belvedere.