DONOVAN ‘DV’ Hayles, the former Harbour View head coach who was replaced by Vin Blaine, insists he was not axed but instead, left for greener pastures after being given another role at the club
“Well, no matter how you want it to sound or maybe sound or look, in a coach’s life no matter how great you do or how bad you do, a sensible coach never unpacks his suitcase,” Hayles told the Jamaica Observer
HAYLES… a sensible coach never unpacks his suitcase
“There are times when the clubs look for changes for various reasons. It would be sensational for people to say ‘yes, coach has been axed’ or ‘fired’. It sounds great,” admitted Hayles.
“But the truth is that at Harbour View football club I’ve served that club for over 20 years and I think that in every sense, I’m one of the most successful coaches,” he argued.
“I won everything at every level, but there comes a time when the club has to look and see if they can further improve. They have reviewed my performance and they believe they can get more or better and nothing is wrong with that,” he added.
Hayles was shifted to the area of youth development at Harbour View, but a tempting offer came which he could not refuse.
“It a matter of transition and to say that I was axed is not really true because I was still a part of the coaching and development, but an offer came to me that looked really attractive and I couldn’t refuse at Kingston College (KC) and the fact that I don’t have that great responsibility at Harbour View, I decided to take the one at KC. But I’m very much a part of Harbour View,” he noted.
Hayles, who played for Harbour View from the age of 12 up to the senior level, winning various titles as a player, had three stints as coach at the club and led them to their last Premier League triumph in 2010.
But having led Harbour View to the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championship in the 2005-06 season, becoming the first Jamaican coach to do so, he, unfortunately, will be remembered for allowing a 13-point lead to slip from his grasp in finishing as runners-up to Waterhouse in 2006.
Although the ‘Stars of the East’ recovered to reclaim the crown in 2006-2007, Hayles could only watch from the stands, having been replaced by Lenworth Hyde.
Hayles, a former KC schoolboy player who assumed the reigns at his alma mater this season, will be baptised in a new capaacity in the Annual Roper Cup extravaganza against arch-rivals and neighbours St George’s College on Saturday at Emmett Park.
KC have not won the coveted Manning Cup title in 26 years, dating back to 1986, and Hayles will be under pressure to deliver. This he expects, but nonetheless asks for patience as he builds his own programme at KC.