Axed coach in the dark

Southport mentor still chasing answers from club

A “DISAPPOINTED” Steve Clark says he remains in the dark over his shock axing as Southport Coast League coach, claiming the committee has put personal agendas ahead of the club’s wellbeing.

Crowned Football Gold Coast’s Coach of the Year in September after steering the Warriors to within one win of Premier League promotion, Clark was brought back to earth soon afterwards when told his services would not be required in 2019.

A Southport legend after joining the club as a player in 1987, the 61-year-old returned to the coaching ranks this year after watching the senior side finish seventh and sixth in the 2016 and 2017 Coast League respectively.

Having improved on those results, Clark (pictured) believes the club’s decision to sack him in favour of returning coach Rob Semple was a political move from re-elected president Gerry Glaser.

“You get Coach of the Year and then you’re snubbed. I disagree with the direction the new board was taking the club so that might have been a deciding factor (in the sacking),” Clark, who has who has served as captain, coach and on the board at the club, said.

“The board has decided to withdraw my option to coach, even though it’s in my contract set out for next year.

“I’ve called and texted and emailed the president on numerous occasions but I’m yet to receive a reply from him at all as to why that’s been withdrawn.

“It’s a bit disappointing and, in my opinion, a bit unprofessional considering we had such a good year in 2018 compared with the last several years.

“Getting awarded Coach of the Year and under my guidance we got very close to promotion into the Premier League, I feel the decision is more of a personal one and it’s certainly not based on results or ability.”

Southport was one of three clubs in line for Premier League promotion last month following the withdrawal of Murwillumbah but the licence was ultimately returned to Tweed United.

Glaser was part of the committee that vowed to appeal against the FGC decision but Clark said that push was nothing more than lip service.

“The president’s recent posturing about getting back into the Premier League was all staged, in my opinion,” Clark said.

“He’s president of the club and he came to two senior games all year and they were the playoff games.

“Other board members have said they didn’t think it was important to get back into the Premier League and that culture was something I challenged and that’s probably gone against me.”

Glaser did not respond to phone calls and text messages from the Bulletin.