'Robbery' outburst could land JC coach in trouble
Published: Tuesday | November 27, 2012 0 Comments
Jamaica College head coach Alfred Henry (centre) being restrained by members of the management team and players at the JC-Denham Town Manning Cup football match at Constant Spring Sports Complex on Saturday, November 10. - Gladstone Taylor/Photographer
Robert Bailey, Gleaner WriterJamaica College (JC) Manning Cup football team head coach, Alfred Henry, could once again find himself in trouble with the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), after he verbally attacked match officials after his team's 1-0 defeat to Wolmer's Boys' in the final of the Walker Cup on Saturday at the National Stadium.
Henry's latest outburst came after JC captain Junior Flemming was ejected from the game in the 56th minute for foul and abusive language.
"This a my last game and me done. The whole a unnu is a set a robber," said Henry, as he vented his anger at the match officials after Saturday's game.
"It no make sense, I can't come here and every day I come I have to play 'gainst 13 and 12, and the referees are most times the best players. That's robbery!" he said.
Continuing, the enraged coach said: "I have to leave it, and this is my last game, and this is why I have to leave Jamaica and go home. This is robbery, and that is all it is, robbery."
second this season
This is the second time this season that Henry has found himself in hot water with ISSA. Henry is set to face ISSA's disciplinary committee tomorrow for a similar incident, which took place at the Constant Sports Complex on November 10, when he verbally abused assistant referee Omar Mills.
Henry got into an argument with Mills and had to be restrained by ISSA and JC officials as he advanced towards the assistant referee, who was instrumental in his dismissal from the game, a crucial match against Denham Town.
ISSA's competitions officer, George Forbes, told The Gleaner that he is aware of the latest incident, but the organisation is yet to receive the match report from the referee.
"We haven't received the match card from Saturday and we are unable to say anything about the match," Forbes said yesterday. "There is a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Wednesday for him to answer about the one (incident) against Denham Town, and so we are dealing with them one at a time. The committee will decide what steps, if any, will be taken against him."
Henry was banned for a year by ISSA in 2009 for a similar incident, in which he was found guilty of abusing match officials. He was banned after describing the organisers and referees as incompetent and further labelled the referees as "idiots" and "nincompoops".
However, the ban was subsequently lifted by ISSA after an appeal by Henry's lawyer, Lance Hylton.
Meanwhile, The Gleaner yesterday received a copy of a letter written to ISSA by JC's principal, Ruel Reid, apologising for the coach's behaviour and noting the school's intent to take "decisive action" against the coach.
"I write on behalf of the Jamaica College family and unreservedly apologise for another unacceptable conduct of our coach, Mr Alfred Henry, at the post-match interview on Television Jamaica at the National Stadium on November 24, 2012," the letter said.
"We will further ensure that decisive action will be taken by the school's administration to ensure that there is no repeat of this type of conduct that is not reflective of the standard of Jamaica College."
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