'Sylvans gave me the boot'

JOEL AVERY has slammed the Sylvans committee over his departure as the club's Priaulx coach. The upset 34-year-old, who has been at the westerners for more than 20 years, has rubbished the club's statement that said he stepped down, insisting he was fired from the position along with his assistant Andy McCarthy.

'I haven't stepped down, simple as that,' said Avery.

'Why say that? Maybe if they had spoken to me, we could have said something mutual.

'It's a farce. I don't know why they didn't tell the truth. They haven't told the truth to me and Chi (McCarthy). All I got from the committee was that it wasn't my fault but the players'.

'So why have they sacked me?'

Sylvans' chronic 2005-6 season was a far cry from the previous campaign, when they won the Priaulx, and from their glory years over the last decade when they won the title nine times in a row.

Their season can be attributed to the fact that they had lost a large portion of their team.

'We had a bad season but so did St Martin's and Vale Rec but they haven't sacked their coaches. They have had some trust in them.

'After winning everything, I think they just expect success and it doesn't happen like that. It's swings and roundabouts.

'I'm very disappointed. I don't see why the club has to panic.

'Eight senior players started the season before and they have retired. We were rebuilding. It just doesn't happen overnight.'

Avery missed a number of matches due to work commitments in Alderney but he said that he had spoken to the committee and they had said that it was not a problem.

He has no hard feelings towards new coach Martyn de Garis, who had spoken to him a while ago to say that he wanted the top job.

Avery advised his good friend to be wary of the powers that be at the St Peter's club.

'He opposed me for the job and he rang me up two months ago to say that it was the right time for him to do it,' said Avery.

'I congratulated Digger, but then I told him he should watch his back.'

Club president Peter Roberts stood by his announcement.

'Joel and Andy have been aware for several weeks that a change of coach was under consideration,' he said.

'Joel asked to speak to our committee about the situation, but failed to attend when invited. I had thought that the matter had been resolved amicably when I spoke to Joel on Tuesday, when although disappointed, he agreed he would step down in favour of the new management team and that an announcement would be made at the club's annual dinner.

'I have also spoken to Andy on several occasions and also informed him on Tuesday of my conversation with Joel.

'Ultimately the committee has made a decision it believes is in the best interests of the club. Time will tell if it was the correct one.'