Police FC coach Richard Hood appeared to have been the sacrificial lamb in a political battle for power in the football department of the T&T Police Service Sports Club, which is responsible for all sports played by the police service.
Hood, a Sergeant in the T&T Police Service was fired soon after a new executive, led by Inspector Andrew Boodoo, took over as chairman. It happened following an Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 29.
Boodoo replaced the previous chairman Chris Dailey.
Hood, who led the country’s Under-20 Women’s team to the quarterfinal of the CONCACAF Under-20 Women’s Championship in the Dominican Republic in 2020, told Guardian Media Sports yesterday that he rejected an offer to be removed as head coach and take up the position of Technical Director, so he paid the ultimate price. He hinted at a wider plan behind the election of Boodoo but did not want to get involved in the politics, he said. Hood, a former national women’s coach, was replaced by Wendell Joseph as interim head coach, with Devon Bristol as his assistant.
He said he played no part in the Police’s last two matches against Point Fortin Civic FC at the Police Barracks more than a week ago, which ended in a 1-1 tie, courtesy of a controversial late goal by the southerners, that caused Hood to write to the T&T Football Association/Normalisation Committee to request that referee Cecile Hinds not do any of their matches again.
Hood, a former player also missed last weekend’s 5-3 victory over San Juan Jabloteh at the La Horquetta Recreation Ground in Phase II, La Horquetta.
Police will return to the Barracks this evening at 6 pm to face Morvant Caledonia AIA.
The Lawmen are in sixth position on the 12-team standings with 16 points from 12 matches.
“I told them I was not going to give up the coaching job to be technical director, that is crazy, so they decided they wanted to fire me. They wanted to fire me a long time now,” Hood said.
Hood was the only one on his staff to have been fired, however, the other members- manager Geddes Foncette, goalkeeping coach Glennon Foncette and the women’s team coach Chris Bailey, all called it quits when he was sacked.
Guardian Media Sports reached out to Boodoo for the appointment of Joseph as interim coach, but the former said he was on his way to a meeting and would call back soon after. Joseph was also contacted for a comment yesterday, but after he asked Guardian Media Sports to call him back in a few minutes, his phone went straight to voicemail when further calls to his phone were made.
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