BLUE BELLS’ DUNCAN IS ACCUSED OF ‘COUP’

Dundee businessman Graeme Carling has aimed a withering parting shot at long-serving Lochee United general secretary Larry Duncan in the aftermath of a Thomson Park civil war.

Carling has accused Duncan of orchestrating “a coup” and “causing havoc” by convincing Lochee committee members to renege on the appointment of Kevin Harper as manager.

Harper left the club on Sunday, just five days after being named as successor to George Shields.

A statement on the club’s website stated the decision to hire the ex-albion Rovers manager had been made without proper boardroom ratification.

Carling, majority shareholder and CEO of investment company United Capital, vehemently refutes that assertion and has subsequently quit as president of the Blue Bells, pulling all sponsorship and financial backing.

Hitting back at what he describes as a “cock and bull story”, Carling is adamant he and club secretary Marc Stanton had unanimous backing to appoint Harper.

He said the only member of the Lochee committee not on board was Duncan – but only because he quit in light of the board’s majority decision to dispense with Shields.

“There have only ever been two people who have appointed a manager at Lochee United,” Carling told Courier Sport. “The committee has never been involved.

“It has always been done by the president, which was me, and the club secretary, who was Marc Stanton.

“We agreed the deal with Kevin Harper and, although Tom (Mcmillan), the ex-president, had reservations based on whether Kevin knew the league and the players, he was willing to get behind me.

“Marc (Stanton) then had a meeting with the committee and said, ‘are there any objections to the appointment of Kevin Harper?’

“It was unanimous in favour.”

Carling contends that Duncan then returned to the fold following the news of Harper’s arrival, even alleging that he attended a training session and told some Lochee players that the managerial situation was not set in stone.

Questions swirled regarding the financial viability of the deal for the ex-hibs and Portsmouth favourite.

Amid mounting uncertainty, news of Harper’s quick-fire exit broke on Sunday.

“This has been a coup for power by one man (Larry Duncan), who has rode roughshod over everyone – the president, the secretary, everyone,” continued Carling.

“The messages coming out of Lochee are simply not true and it has riled me. This is down to one man who has created havoc.

“But he’s not bullying me. I’m not listening to this cock-and-bull stuff.

“I can understand why Larry was able to terrify a few folk on the committee with talk of what we were paying – but we were not paying over the odds.

“It was fair market value.”

Carling also claimed that Duncan’s reluctance to allow Harper to do the job was down to the fact he had already promised the role to Steven Leahy, who is expected to be named the new Lochee boss.

Courier Sport contacted Mr Duncan regarding this claim, along with others made by Carling, and while loath to become embroiled in a war of words, he stated this was explicitly untrue.

He also made it clear that the reservations regarding Harper’s appointment stemmed from a desire to keep the club financially stable in the long term – and maintains that.

Asked outright whether the move for Harper would have been fiscally risky, Carling responded: “Never in the history of Lochee United has the finances involved in appointing a manager been the realm of anyone other than the president and the secretary.

“We were both aware and comfortable.

“There were sponsors – me and my businesses – which have supported the club for the last two years. We were willing to underwrite this to get things moving.

“However, we had other sponsors ready to get on board.”

He added: “I am so upset for Kevin Harper. He was a standout candidate, head and shoulders above anyone Lochee have ever had.

“He was the guy to take us to the SPFL, 100%.”

The fact Carling commissioned an agency to carry out what he describes as an “exploratory” look at potential managerial candidates prior to Shields’ departure – something Duncan contends he was unaware of – is a source of fierce conflict.

Nevertheless, once Shields’ exit was confirmed, Harper was head-hunted within a fortnight and, according to Carling, signed a binding contract that could give Lochee a headache moving forward.

Harper stated on Sunday evening that the matter was now with his legal team.

Carling has now stepped away from the club entirely following two years of providing valuable backing.