It's on the Herald website. Coach sacked by new board, players protesting.Originally Posted by Alton
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/s...h-axed/?cs=305
It's on the Herald website. Coach sacked by new board, players protesting.
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/s...h-axed/?cs=305
What is the hack to not pay the hacks at Herald to read this article?
NPL promotion favourites Belmont Swansea are facing a potential boycott from players after head coach Mick Stafford was sensationally sacked with his team sitting on nine wins from 10 games this year.
Stafford told the NewcastleHerald he ?wasn?t going out without a fight? after being informed by the Belmont Swansea committee via email on Sunday night that his services were no longer required.
Promotion-relegation returns this season and Belswans are in the box seat for elevation with a 12-point gap on their nearest League One rivals.
He?s a popular figure out that way. I can Imagine a few players may not play if he?s not the coach
What the ??.very surprising. Don?t know him too well but obviously can coach and short dealings with him seems a fair sort of bloke, think this may get uglier, shame when club going so well.
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NPL promotion favourites Belswans face civil war after coach axed
newcastleherald.com.au/story/8626344/npl-promotion-favourites-belswans-face-civil-war-after-coach-axed/
Craig Kerry13 May 2024
Mick Stafford. Picture NNSWF
Mick Stafford. Picture NNSWF
NPL promotion favourites Belmont Swansea face a potential boycott from players after head coach Mick Stafford was sensationally sacked with his team sitting on nine wins from 10 games this year.
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Stafford was informed by the Belmont Swansea committee via email on Sunday night that his services were no longer required.
The club will announce a B-licensed replacement with recent experience at a leading NPL club as the interim boss on Tuesday night.
The Newcastle Herald has been told former Valentine head coach Lindsay Tapp, who is the technical director at Belswans, is expected to take over. He was coach of the Lambton Jaffas reserve grade side last season.
In response, Stafford, who has been a leading figure at the club for nine years, called a meeting of players and supporters at the Orana Hotel on Tuesday night, in what will also be a boycott of training.
Stafford told the Herald he "wasn't going out without a fight" and the playing group was going on strike in support.
"I've received an email at 5.36pm last night saying I'm no longer required, with no reasoning, just saying our position in untenable," Stafford said.
"I've rung them and haven't even been replied to. It's heartbreaking.
"I haven't been told a reason and at this point the players are going to go on strike. They are not going to play."
Stafford said Belswans president David Reed resigned three weeks ago and a new committee has come in who have said "they can't work with me going forward".
Stafford is also president of the Belmont Swansea junior club, which is separate to the senior club.
Belswans lead Northern League One, the men's second-division in Northern NSW Football, and are in the box seat to move into the NPL next season. Promotion-relegation returns this season and Belswans are on 27 points, 12 clear of their nearest rivals, in the race for top spot and automatic progression.
New Belswans president Christian Tapp, who is no relation of Lindsay Tapp, said there were reasons behind the Stafford axing but "but we are going keep them in-house."
"Mick knows what they are. We've had meetings with him and he knows what those reasons are," Tapp said.
"The club have paid him up in full and have decided to go in a different direction.
"We have appointed an interim head coach and that is going to be announced on Tuesday night.
"We are sitting on top of the table so obviously there have been other things that have transpired that the committee have had to evaluate.
"It was a unanimous decision from the committee to go in a different direction."
He was aware of the Orana Hotel meeting and the potential boycott from players. He said the committee had not been invited to the meeting.
"I've spoken to some of the senior first-grade players, I spoke to the club captain, and our on-field captain, and generally the players I have spoken to are on board," the president said.
"It's been a tough couple of weeks but hopefully we'll come through this in a much better position going forward."
The club released the following statement on Monday:
Belmont Swansea United FC announces that it has parted ways with its head coach, Michael Stafford.
Mick is a recognisable personality in the NNSW Football community having been the head coach of our club for around a decade and leading us to multiple Northern League One successes over his tenure in the role.
On behalf of the Belmont Swansea United FC community we sincerely thank Mick for all that he has done for the club, on and off the field, in positioning the club to where it is today and wish him well for his future coaching and football endeavours.
"Mick's service and passion to the football club and local football community is unquestionable. He has achieved much success for us during his time here" recently appointed President, Christian Tapp says.
"Our 2024 campaign success by the senior playing squad has put us exactly where we planned to be at this part of the season and I am confident that our trajectory toward NPL promotion will no doubt continue despite the departure of Mick Stafford." Tapp says.
"We have appointed an interim coach to take the squad through the remainder of the 2024 campaign and look forward to introducing him to the playing squad at training on Tuesday night. Our interim head coach has recent coaching experience with a leading NPL club, having completed his Level B Coaching licence, and is a coach that will slot into the head coaching role without disruption.
"I understand that the Newcastle football community is small and the rumour mill has already questioned whether Belswans are imploding, given the recent departure of our stalwart President, David Reed.
"I understand that this announcement could add fuel to the fire. This is a fallacy and is further from the truth as evidenced by where we sit on the table in 1st and Reserve grade. We are strong on and off the field, underpinned by a great PYL and JDL program, and have absolute faith in our senior roster and their abilities to get the job done. Our committee is confident in our direction, which makes us stronger, as we prepare for our next footballing chapter." Tapp concludes.
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Wow, never a dull moment!
Watch this space
Noticed a black tie function was cancelled as well due to low ticket sales, doesn?t sound good.
Didn’t they SOS him last season?
And now he’s got them 9/10 and axed for some shiny badges?
There has got to be more to it surely because no way do you just dismiss a long term manager mid season especially when you are leading the league. The quote in the paper said something went down behind the scenes but will remain confidential so who knows.
https://ahlc.short.gy/0PilBc
All opinions expressed here are my own.
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." -Benjamin Franklin
omg
Very interesting to see how they come out of this.
I guess something like this is something that could happen to a lot of clubs.
*opinion, not facts*
Perhaps a few alleged home truths delivered to some players and coaches in a way that was not received well. Offence taken and legal threats delivered.
Obviously, other than those directly involved, nobody knows what was said.
Staff has been there a long time in some capacity. He has served the club well. They know what they are getting with him, the strengths, the weaknesses. I doubt there’s been any surprises.
Big risk to bump him at this point, but I’m sure they have some reasons.
Hope the new appointed coach is not the one reported to be blueing with Stafford, that would almost exacerbate the alleged protest.
If the bit about locking the kids out of training is true then the bloke deserves all he gets and no club should touch him with a 10 foot pole going forward.
How can he lock them out of the ground. They don?t train in his back yard
Yeah I agree, sounds like he’s s making this all about himself and doesn’t care if he hurts the kids. What sort of person would do that? I?m sure he doesn’t t own the grounds but anyone helping him block the kids from training should also be ashamed of themselves.
I used a colloquial term in reference to something in the letter that was posted.Sorry if you didnt understand the point.
It is his backyard if he?s president of junior club and seniors hire it ???? I maybe wrong and happy to be corrected. I can see the club statement has served its purpose by mentioning the junior situation therefore sending bad blood towards mick.
Makes a farce of promotion/ relegation when the next club up is carrying on like this, one thing for sure the Fed won?t step in. All the hard work over the last few years seems to be slowly evaporating
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