Packman sacked - who next for reds?

RICHARD PACKMAN has been sacked as Sylvans manager - two weeks after the Guernsey Press revealed a plot to oust him. But conflicting accounts emerged from St Peter's yesterday about the reasons behind Packman's dismissal.

Sylvans president Dave Jehan told Packman that all of Sylvans' island players approached the committee and demanded a change of manager.

But club captain Tony Vance contradicted Jehan's account.

Vance said that he believed his teammates had nothing to do with the club's decision.

In a bizarre twist, the club's official line, presented in a statement released by secretary Mick Bachelet, blamed speculation in the Guernsey Press for leaving Sylvans with no option but to remove Packman.

'Following the recent reports and speculation in the media, it was decided that Richard was left in a hopeless, no-win situation,' said Bachelet.

Packman laughed when told of Sylvans' official line.

'Dave Jehan said it had all come from Sylvans' island players,' said Packman.

'He told me they acted collectively and made a presentation to the committee stating that they no longer wanted me as manager.'

Vance said: 'Where the idea of us players collectively working against Richard has come from is beyond me. It is untrue. Surely this is a committee decision and not a decision for players to make.

'I am disappointed with what Richard has been told. I know most of the players very well and I know they wouldn't have acted in that way.'

It is understood that the Sylvans committee was split over Packman's fate and the Guernsey Press stands behind its earlier report that a very small group of the club's island players were behind the move to oust their manager.

Bachelet paid a glowing tribute to Packman.

'It has been a pleasure to work very closely with Richard over the past couple of seasons,' he said.

'The players and supporters are indebted to him for his tremendous efforts and commitment and for the success and rewards that he brought us.'

Packman admitted that he was shocked and disappointed by his dismissal and criticised the club for dealing with him in an appalling manner.

'When I pressed Dave for some firm answers to direct questions, he refused point blank to discuss it any further,' said Packman.

'It upsets me if what Dave told me was true, although I suspect it wasn't. I thought I had developed good relationships with a number of players and I would be very surprised if all of them have worked together to get me the sack, but that's what the club president told me.

'I'm gutted by the underhand way in which this has been handled. Had the committee been open and honest from the start, I would accept that they want to change their manager and that wouldn't be a problem for me, but they have failed to give me honest answers.'

Packman considered leaving Sylvans at the end of last season after the westerners failed to land a 10th successive league championship.

'That's the ironic thing. When I suggested that I was thinking about my future, Mick Bachelet and Dave Jehan both approached me and were quite clear in saying that they wanted me to stay.

'And when I contacted the senior players at the back end of last season, all of them assured me that they would knuckle down and work hard under me next season to win back the championship.

'After those discussions, I informed the club that I was prepared to stay and Mick and Dave expressed their gratitude for my decision.'

The Guernsey Press reported two weeks ago that Sylvans had offered their manager's job to Tristram Morgan, Guernsey's player of the year.

Morgan denied having any contact with the club despite Jehan informing Packman earlier this week that Sylvans have made an audacious swoop for the Vale Rec player and are still awaiting an answer from him.

Morgan was unavailable for comment yesterday.

The club's official line read: 'A replacement has yet to be appointed. We believe that there may be a couple of options for us to consider and we will be discussing the matter further over the next few days.'

Packman, who said that he wanted to stay in football, was immediately installed as the new favourite to take over as island manager, but he has also been linked with the post of assistant manager at Northerners.