Adam's Construction San Juan Jabloteh is seeking the best local coach available to take it forward when the Digicel T&T Pro League 2011/2012 season begins later this year. This was stated by club chairman, Jerry Hospedales at a media launch held on Tuesday to announce the team's new sponsors. But despite acquiring new sponsors, Hospedales said the board has decided it will not be seeking another foreign coach to replace out-of-contract, former England international Terry Fenwick, who led the club to a third T&T Football Federation FA Trophy earlier this year. Fenwick and Jabloteh parted ways for the second time in three years last month after his contract with the club, which was mainly financed by collapsed Colonial Life Insurance Company Limited (Clico) came to and end at the conclusion of the Pro League season in March.
However, the English has since refuted those claims and has threatened yet again to seek legal action.
Two years ago, the 51-year-old Fenwick, a former England World Cup defender and coach of Crystal Palace, Northampton and Portsmouth, was also locked in a legal battle with Jabloteh after he had gone five months without a salary from the club, following the collapse Clico. Back then, Fenwick decided to withhold his services as technical director of the club for the entire season and was replaced by Earl Jean before eventually making a return at the start of last season. But speaking at Thursday's press briefing on the ambitions of the club Hospedales said: "Jabloteh has to get back to being very competitive edge on all fronts. At the same time the club has to be able to nurture young players and keep them as we did in the past. But once you have limited financing you will be hindered greatly, warned Hospedales.
Fenwick had most of those qualities and we thank him for all he has done for the club, but due to the fact we are working under a smaller budget we have no choice but to look for the best available local coach.
Asked if with the new found sponsorship in Adam's Construction, TSTT and First Citizens Bank, the club could not have worked out a way to keep Fenwick on board, Hospedales said it was too costly. "Our first objective was to secure sponsorship for the club going forward before we began looking for a coach. "That has now been achieved so we can now begin the next process of finding the best coach to suit our needs of understanding the club modules and player development. The club's chairman also expressed his gratitude for the support of former sponsors Clico which ended last year. He said, "Clico did not terminate its sponsorship overnight, in fact, we were given ample notice and sufficient financing to assist with the transition which I commend them for.