KINGSTON, Jamaica — A meeting called today by Wolmer’s Old Boys Association president, Kirk Benjamin, failed to resolve the issues arising from the school’s efforts to install a new coach for the 2016/17 schoolboy football season.

OBSERVER ONLINE understands that members of the alumni are still opposed to the expected appointment of business executive and former head of the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), Rudolph Speid, as head coach, and want the selection redone, using independent persons.

Speid was expected to be announced this week as the new head coach replacing Ludlow Bernard, who left in December 2014 after failing to lead the team to a Manning Cup win. However, the decision by the school’s administration to appoint him to the position has been clouded by objections raised by alumni, who have expressed doubts about the integrity of the selection process.

A large number of the alumni are supporting a proposal to engage Charlie Smith High School coach, Jerome Waite, a former Wolmer’s athlete and a successful Manning Cup and Red Stripe Super League (RSSL) coach of Charlie Smith and Arnett Gardens, respectively.

 Waite was expected to walk into the position on the basis of a “handshake” agreement with the school’s sports management committee. However, the administration called in several aspirants to an interview on May 24, and later announced that Speid was the choice.

The result has been a deeply divided alumni insisting on a redo of the process, which they claim was flawed and biased against Waite’s selection.

Balford Henry