A former Crawley Town FC boss who successfully sued the club's owners for £35,000 for unfair dismissal is working back in football.

Steve Duly spent five months out of work and only recently got a casual job as a bar manager in a sports club after he was forced out of his £28,500-a-year post as Crawley's managing director by bankrupt chairman Chas Majeed last November.

Mr Duly had feared he would never find another job in football because Mr Majeed publicly criticised his managerial skills after he sacked him, he told an employment tribunal. But he has been appointed commercial manager for Nationwide South club Basingstoke Town.

He will take responsibility for all commercial affairs and link up with former Crawley Town boss Francis Vines, now Basingstoke manager.

Mr Vines sued the Majeeds for around £15,000 for breach of contract after he was also sacked by Crawley.

Mr Duly said: "I have joined a clubwith a hardworking and ambitious board of directors with whom I share the same desires and objectives. I had an excellent working relationship with Francis during our time together at Crawley, and having the opportunity to rekindle that partnership and to try to emulate our former successes fills me with great excitement."

Basingstoke vice-chairman Steve Murfitt said: "Steve comes with a proven track record and his appointment shows the ambitions and desires of the club to move forward."

Crawley Town was bought by the Majeeds last summer. The club last week went into administration with debts of £500,000.