West Park rocked as Martin Jones left ‘humiliated’ by sacking

Feb 27 2008 by Ron Roby, Liverpool Daily Post

THE sacking of West Park’s head coach Martin Jones last Saturday, minutes after the team’s narrow defeat against rivals Fylde by 26-18 came as a thunderbolt to players and club members alike.

No-one was more stunned by the announcement than Martin Jones himself, who had no inkling that the meeting in the office with rugby manager Martin Strett and rugby chairman Ian Worsley was to tell him in no uncertain terms that his services were no longer required.

“Frankly I felt totally humiliated,” Martin Jones said. “Ian Worsley came into the dressing room and said they wished to see me in the office.

“I hadn’t even wiped myself down. When I eventually got to the office I was told there and then that they were sacking me.

“You can imagine how I felt. I walked out and bumped into one of the players and when I told him what had happened he hardly believed me.

“When some of the other players found out they thought it was a joke.”

Club officials have not officially published a statement but have said that the assistant coach Chris Chudleigh will be taking over until the end of the season on a temporary basis.

Apart from that there has been a reluctance to elaborate apart from Martin Strett saying: “We are exploring new avenues and a way forward to improve our performances. We are grateful for what Martin has done and it has not been an easy decision.”

West Park are currently fourth from the bottom of the National Three North table just four points above the drop zone.

The next few weeks are going to be nerve-wracking with the team needing to step up the pace and Saturday’s visit to seventh-placed Harrogate will not be easy.

New coach Chris Chudleigh has a tough, if not embarrassing, task ahead of him as will the chairman of rugby and rugby manager.

Though there have been no official comments there have for sometime been doubts over fitness levels with the side sometimes squandering good opportunities later in games.

Another element of concern has been the team’s discipline this season having registered 18 yellow cards and two red.

Even next Monday evening lock forward Dave Westhead faces the RFU Disciplinary panel in Leeds to answer the charge of verbally abusing an official during the game at Tynedale on February 16.

Martin Jones himself was suspended from standing near the touchline for seven weeks having been found guilty of saying something untoward to one of the match officials.

Though it is important to state that on the occasion of that hearing theclub backed their coach in his plea of ‘not guilty’.

While a coach has some degree of responsibility in conditioning his team’s behaviour, it is often difficult to blame him for many of their indiscretions.

One thing is certain though, nothing has been uttered officially, is that the team this season for some reason has had to play too often with their numbers reduced when it has mattered. Ironically last season West Park headed the fair play table in England with fewer yellow cards than any other side.

Martin Jones has been RFU Development Officer for the Merseyside region and North West for almost 10 years before taking on a new appointment in January with the Liverpool Council.

He has every reason to be proud of what he has achieved at West Park having been responsible for recruitment and guiding the club into the national leagues for the first time in the club’s history.

Whether this decision is a timely and successful one only the six remaining games will tell. Chris Chudleigh didn’t have an easy time at Orrell in their last season and the weeks ahead could also be tormenting.

One thing that is certain is West Park will be without centre Dave Cunliffe who is in hospital with a suspected damaged larynx which happened in the second half in the battle against Fylde on Saturday.