Kilmarnock fans applauded Jim Jefferies' departure as manager, according to Killie Trust chairman Barry Richmond.
Richmond revealed that chairman Michael Johnston made a surprise appearance at the trust's meeting on Monday evening to reveal Jefferies' departure.
"He got a round of applause," Richmond told BBC Scotland.
"I think it's the first round of applause he has ever had, certainly from us."
Other fans told BBC Scotland that only a small band of fans joined in the applause and that they were not all happy that Jefferies' eight-year reign had ended.
But Richmond said: "Jim Jefferies gets a very easy ride from the media, but there's been a gradual decline for the last two years.
The bottom line is that they will be going for somebody that they don't need to pay compensation for
Killie Trust chairman Barry Richmond
"Everybody has a shelf life and Jim seems to have reached his if you ask me and a lot of the guys here feel the same."
Jefferies led Kilmarnock to fourth place in his first full season in charge, two more top-six finishes and a League Cup final in 2007.
A lack of resources at Rugby Park then began to tell, with the club ending 2007-08 second bottom of the table and they finished eighth last term.
Kilmarnock, heavily in debt, have this season slipped to second bottom of the SPL after winning just one of their last nine games and Richmond says it was this that was at the heart of the fans' reaction.
He thought Johnston was unable to give much detail because of confidentiality agreements with the departing management team.
"But he clarified the fact that it had nothing to do with the Kevin Kyle situation," said the fans representative.
"To be honest, there was a lot going on there before the Kevin Kyle thing happened, so there could be a shade of truth in it."
Kyle had been brought to Rugby Park by Jefferies last January and his signing was viewed by many as the stroke that saved Kilmarnock from relegation.
It also resurrected the 28-year-old's Scotland career, but he is out of contract in May and Johnston had planned to offer the striker an extension prior to last week's allegations.
Johnston plans disciplinary action against Kyle, but Richmond said: "The chairman just spoke about him just now in glowing terms apart from his wee indiscretion the other week there.
"From a personal point of view, he acted like a big daft boy. I had expected more from him than that, but I think, if he puts the ball in the net, it will all be forgiven.
"But this is the Kevin Kyle who has only scored three goals this season, which is not a lot half way through the season from your top scorer.
"Fans were willing to lose him over this carry on and I am not sure he is as big a hero as he once was."
Richmond, who thought the club also needed reform at board level, believes that Kilmarnock would not find it easy to find a quality replacement for Jefferies.
"What the chairman said was that he is going to bring in an interim manager," said the fans' chief.
"The bottom line is that they will be going for somebody that they don't need to pay compensation for."
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