THE calls were made first to supporters' groups.

Kenny Shiels informed the fans of his departure promptly but with an almost apologetic air. It was symptomatic of the bond between fan and manager that calls were made on a personal basis.

The former Kilmarnock manager, as one must now refer to him, was contrite about his conduct, but bullish about the team he has re-shaped. The anger and the recrimination was left to the fans.

A Kilmarnock statement said the manager had left after a mutual agreement for "footballing and regulatory" reasons. But this was viewed by the outside world as a sacking and one that raises questions over the future of Kilmarnock Football Club and where it is heading.

The reasons for this departure demand investigation, although the "regulatory" aspect cannot be denied. Shiels would not have needed the sat-nav to plot the direction to the office of Vincent Lunny, the SFA's compliance officer.

The matter was adressed last night with an apology. "I have to be self-analytical over this part of my experience with Kilmarnock," Shiels said. "I saw the need to protect the club every time I felt it had been the victim of injustice and every time I thought something had gone against us which should not have. I may have been over-protective and I apologise for that."

Some of his comments were, frankly, beyond the bounds, most particularly the unacceptable claims made against Andrew Dallas, the referee. But this was a matter that could have been resolved in frank discussions over the summer.

The "footballing" reasons behind this parting of ways do not survive scrutiny. Kilmarnock finished the league in the bottom six, having lost five out of the final six fixtures. But Shiels, with a team safe from any threat of relegation, was playing a side so young they were being confused with the mascots.

Tellingly, there was no clamour over Shiels' end of season record from the supporters. Fans are sometimes accused of lacking a sense of reality but they have a firm grip of that elusive football quality in the stands at Rugby Park. There is affection for the manager and what he has brought to the club, most notably the Scottish Communities League Cup just over a year ago.

There was an immediate outpouring of outrage on fans' sites and Barry Richmond, chairman of the Kilmarnock Trust, was just one of many who predicted that attendances would fall further.

"There will be moves to starve the club and try to force Michael Johnston out," he said of the Kilmarnock chairman. "I have nothing against the guy personally but he simply must go. I would say that almost definitely the removal of Johnson is necessary for the club to move forward. One man cannot run a club in the SPL. He has been offered help but refused it."

The departure of Shiels is seen by fans' groups as the final straw in a period where they feel under-valued and rarely consulted to any effect. Richmond points out that the long-term aim of the trust is to make Kilmarnock a community-run club and have the interests of the supporters physically represented on the board.

The fate of Shiels has reinforced his opinion that changes must be made urgently. "The budget here is becoming less and less. The attendances are slipping. Yet Kenny gave us the league cup final victory and memorable triumphs at Parkhead and Ibrox," he said. "Most importantly, he was building a future for the club. He had a depth of football knowledge that was highly impressive. His work with the youth system was exemplary. Kenny knew every boy, knew every player's parents."

Shiels, too, insists he has left the club with a future. "I believe with the youngsters coming through that there is the foundation of a good side for next season. But I believe there could be an exceptional season in 2014/15. I believe we had the makings of a team that could finish second or third in the SPL and qualify for Europe. There is also a sustainability about this if you put a plan in place."

Although it is good to see he has not lost any of his self-belief, Shiels has always had faith in his ability. "My cv shows I can win cups and I can coach teams," he said. "I would hope to move on now and find another job. I have not formulated any method of self-redemption. It would be good if it it was in Scotland because although football is a brutal world, I find the people in Scotland very good."

He refused to have any self-pity. "I apologise for my mistakes and I wish Kilmarnock well. I formed a bond with the supporters and I came to love the club. Undoubtedly, the greatest achievement was the league cup win over Celtic."

He believed, too, that Kilmarnock's enterprising approach had influenced other teams. "We showed that playing good football could bring entertainment and success. Maybe others at St Mirren and elsewhere said: 'We'll have some of that'."

His future remains unclear but the club he has left is now at a crucial time in its history. The budget has fallen to such an extent that some players are on wages of £250 a week. Johnston faces pressure from the fans in a hostile economic climate with a debt estimated at £10m. Any boycott from the fans could bring a difficult situation into the realms of crisis.

There was sympathy for Shiels yesterday from the fans. There was also a deep concern for the future of the club.