By Neto Baptiste
Embattled president of the once-successful Lion Hill FC, Devon Joseph, said he will issue his resignation with “immediate effect” following a drawn out battle with former player and coach, Ivor Luke, over his standing as leader of the club.
“I want to say it publicly now that with immediate effect I resign as president. I will submit my letter today because I can’t take on this headache with Ivor,” he said.
Joseph called into the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show on Friday in an effort to rebut claims by Luke that the club had already decided that elections for a new executive would be held on Sunday.
The sitting head of the club said the executive has named May 25 as the date for the Annual General Meeting but has come under added pressure from players and other executive members to host the club’s vote ahead of the football association’s election slated for April 25.
Luke, who will run on Barbara Coates’ slate as a vice president in the FA’s election, denied claims that his push is fueled by the fact that Joseph is not in support of the challenger’s bid to lead the national association.
“Whether Devon is supporting or not supporting Mrs. Coates, their [executive] term in office has ended so I don’t know what other clubs will do or not do because they don’t concern me. I have never played for no other club or had an inclination and we went down [demoted] for three years and I played First Division for three years and then retired when we came back up so it does not matter. Their term has ended and Devon alone cannot decide who the club is voting for,” he said.
The former national and Lion Hill defender said that although he is no longer in a leadership role with the Club, he still only wants to see the body progress in a positive way.
“I don’t defend no club outside of Antigua. I played for one club and I was there from day one when it was formed and I wasn’t a player, I was a youngster in Grays Hill because it was formed in Grays Hill and not Nut Grove. The founding members, their aim and objective was first, not to be a political mouthpiece for nobody and I could not standby and allow this foolishness to continue,” Luke said.
Joseph’s resignation clears the way for the club to elect a new executive ahead of the FA’s April 25 AGM.