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Conflicting schedules forced Williams’ Dunbeholden departure
September 24, 2024
General manager of Dunbeholden Football Club Roger Simmonds, and coach Phillip Williams, who retired after two games in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) this season, say there is no truth to assertions that he walked away because of the football team's poor start to the season.
Williams handed in his resignation hours after the team suffered its second straight defeat in two matches, but, according to Simmonds, Williams left the job because of a conflict in scheduling with his teaching profession at St Andrew Technical High School and his coaching duties with the St Catherine-based club.
"That could not be further from the truth (that he resigned because of poor results). We had no such thinking. We have 39 games in the season, this would have been our longest season. So two games cannot give us enough information to make a decision, to say get rid of the coach," Simmonds pointed out.
"That would not make sense in our estimation. If you are in a long-term project, after two games you cannot come to that decision," he said.
He revealed that they are currently reviewing the list of candidates from which they selected Williams in the summer, with a few additions, and that they intend to have a new man on the sidelines before Sunday's game against Mount Pleasant Football Academy.
"In the search that we were searching we would have had some targets then, and he (Williams) would have been our first choice. So we will now move on and look at those other options, and try to widen the pool as well," Simmonds stated.
"We know we have a match coming up shortly. Therefore, we are actively doing our search to ensure that we get the right person. At the same time we don't want to rush things and make decisions that are not keeping with the philosophy and ultimately the goal of the club. We will see in due time who the next person will be for the job," he said.
Meanwhile, Williams dismissed suggestions that he quit because of their bad start to the JPL season.
He said it was a tough decision to make, and that he still aspires to coach at the highest level, once his teaching job permits.
"I don't know why I would even consider that sentiment (quitting because of poor results). From in the summer I have been trying to get my timetable fixed so that I would be able to undertake the Dunbeholden job properly. But, unfortunately, me and the school could not come to proper solution, so the school asked me to make a decision," he stated.
"It is possible for me and the school to come to a proper solution for my coaching endeavours at the premier league level, yes, but I have given 20 years to the teaching profession at this school, and I can't just walk away like that unless we can come to an agreement, where one does not affect the other," he reasoned.
"I was hoping it could have been solved, but it has been going on from summer and we still haven't come to a solution," he added.
Williams' assistant, Anthony Bennett, also resigned his post with the club.
