Head coach resigns amid public pressure

ST JOHN’S, Antigua,  CMC- Technical Director and head coach of the Antigua and Barbuda national team, Tom Curtis, has tendered his resignation with immediate effect.

The England born coach made the sudden announcement Monday saying he was no longer in charge of the country’s senior team and was leaving for his homeland.

Curtis’ announcement comes in the face of public calls for his sacking and criticism over his coaching methods.

“I will be leaving my post as the Technical Director of the Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) with immediate effect”Curtis declared.

“I need to move on and look at my future as an individual”.

His resignation comes just one week after Group A action in the CONCACAF leg of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in which Antigua & Barbuda finished at the bottom of the table with just a single point.

Antigua & Barbuda’s only point came via a goalless draw with Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz here while they lost to the USA and Guatemala during home and away encounters.

“Obviously, you are going to get criticism from people and from media but to be honest it is not something that has influenced any sort of decision” said Curtis who had earlier publicly stated his intention to continue as Technical Director of Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) and head coach of the national team.

“I am very happy with the job I’ve done and I believe the association is as well; so I don’t think an outcry from one or two people about substitutions and team selections or anything like that has affected my decision”.

Speculation about Curtis’ future heightened on October 12 after the Benna Boys’ 2-1 loss to the United States, prevented them from advancing to the next stage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying competition.

ABFA President Everton Gonsalves was quoted in the Antiguan media as saying Curtis’ future with the national football association would be determined at the end of the year.

“As an executive, we will have to sit down and look at a caretaker situation because, as you know, the Caribbean Cup is coming up shortly” said Gonsalves in his reaction to Curtis’ resignation.

“And so I don’t believe, in the whole scheme of things we would be able to attract a full time technical director as we speak”.