‘Oilmen’ in disarray as technical staff resigns
By Gordon Pierre (ttproleague.com)
Less than a week before United Petrotrin starts their First Citizens Cup campaign; the southern-based camp has been thrown into disarray when Head Coach Brian Williams and his entire technical staff handed in their resignations.
‘ttproleague.com’ understands the dilemma all started with the sudden dismissal of the club’s manager Larry Joseph last week.
Joseph was reportedly terminated with immediate effect for signing off the release form for striker Abiola Clarence who is now a Superstar Rangers player.
It appears Petrotrin’s management was in total disagreement with the release of the player hence the action taken on Larry Joseph.
However chairman of the club Arnold Corneal explained that Larry Joseph was suspended and not fired.
“We have the official document that Larry Joseph was suspended for the rest of the season and not fired,” he said.
Corneal further explained, “There have been discrepancies between the manager, coaching staff and the executive committee of United Petrotrin.”
“We’ve had a number of club policies breached on numerous occasions by both Mr. Joseph and Mr. Williams which they have been warned about several times,” said Corneal.
“The executive committee of United Petrotrin expects the same level of discipline from the coaching staff just as they (the coaching staff) expect from the players.”
Corneal said that the executive committee issued the policy that decisions to contract and transfer players should be agreed to by the committee because it’s a business proposition as well and one which Joseph didn’t adhere too on a number of occasions hence his suspension.
However the Petrotrin officials wasn’t aware that this would have a ripple effect, as Head Coach Brian Williams and his entire technical staff including assistant coaches Philbert Jones and Floyd Lawrence submitted their resignations based on management’s decision to dismiss the team’s manager Larry Joseph.
But it was a decision that the United Petrotrin FC executives can deal with.
Evans Codogan manager of the United Petrotrin U-17 team and a senior employee at the Petrotrin has taken over the duties of suspended manager Larry Joseph, while technical director of the club Edgar Vidale would carry on as coach until a suitable replacement can be found.
While a disappointed Brian Williams said, “The decision to release the player (Abiola Clarence) was a technical staff decision and not just Larry Joseph’s. I was very surprised when I heard Larry was dismissed and very hurt when I heard the reasons given. This sort of thing has never happened before at the club, the technical staff has always been responsible for making decisions on players so I don’t know what is different this time around.”
Abiola had put in a request to leave the club, based on the inconvenience of traveling from Diego Martin to south everyday, which the manager along with the technical staff agreed.
“I could not standby and continue as normal knowing the reasons Larry was fired. It would have been against my better judgment, so I decided I had to take a principle stand and I handed in my resignation last Thursday in support of Larry,” stated the former national defender.
He continued, “This is a sad day in football, not only for Petrotrin, and for South football, but also national football and its development.”
Williams looked on from the stands in Petrotrin’s match on Saturday against San Juan Jabloteh at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, while his assistant coaches Philbert Jones and Floyd Lawerence took charge.
But ‘ttproleague.com’ was reliably informed that immediately following the match both Jones and Lawrence also handed in their resignations with immediate effect.
Philbert Jones a former national striker confirmed the decision taken by the coaching staff saying, “This is a stand we are making based strictly on principle, we cannot just continue with our normal day to day activities and Larry (Joseph) is out in the cold. It was a totally unfair decision by management and we can only hope better sense will prevail for the sake of United Petrotrin.”
Jones made it abundantly clear, that the only way he sees the situation being resolved is if management is willing to discuss the matter and allow the entire staff to continue the job they were doing.
Brian Williams, who was named the TT Pro League ‘Coach of the Year’ back in 2005, led United Petrotrin to an unprecedented two titles in two years, the 2005 Lucozade Sport Big Six and the 2006 Toyota Classic.
Calm conditions at Petrotrin.
...as coaching staff reinstated.
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague.com)
United Petrotrin head coach Brian Williams and his staff are back on the job ahead of Friday’s First Citizens Cup quarterfinal clash against Defence Force after being reinstated to the club they had resigned a week ago.
Williams and assistant coaches Philbert Jones and Floyd Lawrence had submitted their resignations based on management’s decision to dismiss team manager Larry Joseph over reported insubordination.
Club chairman Arnold Corneal said that the executive committee had issued a policy that decisions to contract and release players should be agreed to by the committee because it’s a business proposition as well and one which Joseph didn’t adhere to on many occasions.
Joseph’s contract was suspended with immediate effect for signing off the release form of striker Abiola Clarence who is now a Superstar Rangers player.
It appeared that Petrotrin’s management was in total disagreement with the release of the player hence the action taken against Joseph.
But in an executive committee meeting on Wednesday morning United Petrotrin decided to reinstate Larry Joseph and the technical staff including Williams who had resigned in support of their suspended team manager.
Corneal told ‘ttproleague.com’, “He (Larry Joseph) expressed his apologies and based on that he is also an employee of Petrotrin we decided to give him a chance but with a stern warning,” he said.
Corneal also confirmed that the executive committee accepted letters from the three members of the coaching staff, who have also been reinstalled in their substantive positions.
“We have also promised that if this situation was ever to arise again that those involved would be severely penalized.”
He said that the other members of the technical staff have given the assurance that in the future all club policies will be adhered to.