Hyde believes Dunbeholden sacking premature
Published:Tuesday | July 16, 2024 | 12:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
VETERAN COACH Lenworth ‘Lenny’ Hyde believes Dunbeholden Football Club jumped the gun when they sacked him.
Hyde was relieved of his duties after one season. The team finished eighth.
“I needed time to build a team. I remember a game against Arnett Gardens where we dominated the game and lost one-nil, so I saw signs of a Clarendon College style of play forming in the team. I told management that this wouldn’t take one season. It took me five seasons to get Clarendon College playing how they’re playing now, which is now embedded in them,” said Hyde.
According to the well-travelled coach, he inherited a new team, saying the team that lost to Harbour View in the 2022 JPL final on penalties was a very different unit.
Therefore, he was aware that to get back to that level would require some amount of patience.
“They lost about six players from the team that went to the 2022 final. Therefore, this was a new team with a new coach and in a new environment. It would take more than one season to rebuild a team but management wanted to go in a different direction and that’s what owners do all over the world,” said Hyde.
The three-time JPL, title-winning coach explained that there were also stances he took that may have rubbed some persons the wrong way.
“I wasn’t afraid of losing as I told them if they missed training, they wouldn’t play. I’ve coached Harbour View with Jermaine Hue, Tivoli Gardens with Orane Simpson and Navion Boyd and those players never missed training,” said Hyde.
According to Hyde, while it took him five years to get Clarendon College moving the way he wants, improvements at Dunbeholden would have begun to come to fruition this season.
“If I was going to do better, it would come this season. I would have learnt from last season to know what would be needed for this year.”
Hyde won’t be concerning himself too much with what’s next, since he still has the business of his Clarendon College project to attend to.
“No one has reached out as yet. My focus is on Clarendon College for the time being.”