Ben Toft blasts Cov for being 'unprofessional' ...
By Coventry Telegraph.
July 10 2013
Ben Toft blasts Cov for being 'unprofessional' after being axed via email. Winger says he has still not spoken to anyone at the club after finding out he wouldn't get a second year while on holiday
Axed Coventry winger Ben Toft has accused the National One club of acting unprofessionally, disputed the grounds on which his contract was terminated and criticised them for failing to deliver the job they promised when he originally joined.
That was last summer when the 27-year-old returned for a second spell at Butts Park after playing for Doncaster Knights in the Championship and at a time when he was keen to help Cov return to the second tier, while also starting an off-field career to last him beyond his playing days.
He signed a two-year contract and looked set for a role with one of Coventry’s sponsors but neither things worked out and at the end of the 2012-13 campaign Toft was told he would not be kept on for a second season.
He claims the rationale given – that he had been injured for more than eight weeks – depends on whether you count the end of the season as April 27 when Coventry actually played their final game, or May 11 when they were supposed to travel to Wharfedale for a match that never went ahead.
Indeed the former Nuneaton threequarter said that his contracted first year ended on April 30 anyway.
But he says it was the way in which Coventry went about communicating their intention that irritated him most and insists that he has still not spoken to anyone at the club.
Instead, he says, he discovered the bad news when he picked up an email on holiday in the second week of June.
“If they had been honest from the start and pulled me in in the first week of May and said ‘Look Tofty, this is what we are thinking we are not really happy’. I had turned down other offers to go elsewhere,” Toft said.
“It was just really common courtesy, if they had rang me and explained the situation, I am sure we could have come to some arrangement and it would have allowed me to take up some of the options I had.
“There were some good options, probably they will be Coventry’s biggest rivals this year and there was one down South playing back in the Championship.”
But the Butts Park outfit insisted they had tried to open discussions long before they emailed him. A spokesman said: “The club made several attempts to contact Ben but to no avail. Unfortunately as time moved on we were left with no option but to inform him of our position in an email.”
Toft admits he did not play as well as expected last season, he made just nine starts, but attributes that to ‘the stress of trying to find a job because the job that had been offered by the club never materialised’.
However, Coventry contend an opportunity was made available but that Toft was unsuccessful in securing it.
“The club has helped several players get employment opportunities but as all candidates must they have to go through an interview process, which sadly Ben failed,” the spokesman added.
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I find it rather odd that Ben explains his lack of form on job uncertainty. A professional should be able to take that on board.
The best of luck to Ben in the future.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:07:10:19:45:13 by Roger Fox.
The fact remains that even when fully fit, Ben was not being selected. The matter rests between the club and Ben and is best parked there.
Quote:Quite right, but I wonder if potential new clubs for Ben will notice his action in highlighting his grievances in the local paper?albie
Pity to air such a matter in public.
The fact remains that even when fully fit, Ben was not being selected. The matter rests between the club and Ben and is best parked there.
Silly remarks from the disaffected.
Best wishes Ben, but cut the rhetoric.
