Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

THERE ARE conflicting reports surrounding the dismissal of Meadhaven United head coach Alrick Clarke yesterday, with the club's general secretary, Lance Cowan, saying he has been relieved of his duties and Clarke insisting he has not officially been dismissed by the club's executive.

According to Cowan, who is a part of the management team that has taken over at the Upper St Andrew club since the death of founding member David 'Wagga' Hunt, Clarke was relieved of his duties due to comments he made in the media on Wednesday.

He had bemoaned a lack of support from the club's manage-ment and players and said if things did not change he may have to leave.

Relieved of duties

"I will now confirm that Clarke has been relieved of his duties as a result of his comments in the media," said Cowan who, along with his wife, Jacqueline (chair-man), Clarke (treasurer), Jason Cunningham (assistant secretary) and assistant coach Lijyasu Simms Simms (vice-president) make up the club's executive committee.

"We have not yet decided how we are going to deal with his position as treasurer, but he is no longer the football coach," he said.

The club's initial president since the death of Hunt, Peter Beckford, resigned last month due to differences between some members of the club's executive and himself.

No authority

But Clarke, who was Hunt's long-time assistant, and steered the club's promotion to Premiership, said the general secretary did not have the authority to "single-handedly" dismiss him and, as far as he is concerned, no meeting has been convened since his comments in the media.

"If I have been fired, I don't know as I have not received anything officially from the club's executive saying that I have been relieved of my duties. Until then, I am still the coach of the club," said Clarke. "I will be reporting to training tomorrow (today), and until the club's executive unanimously approves my dismissal - not one or two persons - I will be going nowhere. Meadhaven is not a one or two-man club. I was here before the Cowans came six months ago and will be here when they are gone."