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Duckie got too big for us says St Georges boss
Duckie ... sacked by . - File
EVERTON KING, president of promoted team, St Georges of Portland, yesterday said he had no option but to fire his friend and coach Duckie after the team failed to make it among the top six at the end of the Premier League third round.
Duckie, who took St Georges to the Premier League this season and moulded the club as one of the most deadly home sides in the league, was one of three local coaches assigned national duties by technical director Rene Simoes.
However, King said this appointment affected Duckie's focus and caused St Georges to now be playing among the lower six teams to avoid relegation in the fourth round of the Premier League.
"It was as if he had gone on to bigger things," said King. "The players started feeling let down and we've made a lot of sacrifice, getting to that critical juncture and when everybody was pressing for sixth spot, we did not see the drive to push us there," he added.
Duckie ... sacked by . - File
EVERTON KING, president of promoted team, St Georges of Portland, yesterday said he had no option but to fire his friend and coach Duckie after the team failed to make it among the top six at the end of the Premier League third round.
Duckie, who took St Georges to the Premier League this season and moulded the club as one of the most deadly home sides in the league, was one of three local coaches assigned national duties by technical director Rene Simoes.
However, King said this appointment affected Duckie's focus and caused St Georges to now be playing among the lower six teams to avoid relegation in the fourth round of the Premier League.
"It was as if he had gone on to bigger things," said King. "The players started feeling let down and we've made a lot of sacrifice, getting to that critical juncture and when everybody was pressing for sixth spot, we did not see the drive to push us there," he added.
Replacement
Duckie has been replaced by Geoffrey Maxwell, who St Georges hope, will keep them out of relegation trouble as they are on 39 points, five above next-to-last August Town on 34 with Reno trailing on 33.
"We don't want to leave it to chance," said King, adding that Maxwell had been contracted for the fourth round and the door is always open to Duckie to return to St Georges but under a contractual agreement.
King told STAR firing Duckie was heart-rending but he had a commitment to the people of Portland as the young coach, with whom he shared and achieved the dream of getting the parish back in the premiership, had started neglecting his job in favour of his duties with the national Under-20s.
King said it was most obvious during last Wednesday's decisive match, the final game of the third round, against Tivoli, when St Georges were among four teams in with a shot at grabbing sixth place.
"He came for the 3:30 game at 3:00 with the national Under-20 team while the guys were warming up," said King.
"Things started getting unacceptable. The team did not seem to be motivated as a result of him not being around as often as we would like. He missed training sessions, which, he, himself, scheduled.
"We didn't know what was happening. It appeared as if his focus was mostly on the youth team he was training. Plus, the comments he made after not making the top six. Basically, we figured he was saying the team couldn't go any further. If the coach is saying that, what frame of mind does he put the players into for the fourth round? "I am not responding to anything. Mr King can say all he wants to say. I know exactly what went on there. Anything Mr King wants to say, I'm not responding," Duckie said last night when contacted for a response.
Duckie has been replaced by Geoffrey Maxwell, who St Georges hope, will keep them out of relegation trouble as they are on 39 points, five above next-to-last August Town on 34 with Reno trailing on 33.
"We don't want to leave it to chance," said King, adding that Maxwell had been contracted for the fourth round and the door is always open to Duckie to return to St Georges but under a contractual agreement.
King told STAR firing Duckie was heart-rending but he had a commitment to the people of Portland as the young coach, with whom he shared and achieved the dream of getting the parish back in the premiership, had started neglecting his job in favour of his duties with the national Under-20s.
King said it was most obvious during last Wednesday's decisive match, the final game of the third round, against Tivoli, when St Georges were among four teams in with a shot at grabbing sixth place.
"He came for the 3:30 game at 3:00 with the national Under-20 team while the guys were warming up," said King.
"Things started getting unacceptable. The team did not seem to be motivated as a result of him not being around as often as we would like. He missed training sessions, which, he, himself, scheduled.
"We didn't know what was happening. It appeared as if his focus was mostly on the youth team he was training. Plus, the comments he made after not making the top six. Basically, we figured he was saying the team couldn't go any further. If the coach is saying that, what frame of mind does he put the players into for the fourth round? "I am not responding to anything. Mr King can say all he wants to say. I know exactly what went on there. Anything Mr King wants to say, I'm not responding," Duckie said last night when contacted for a response.
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