president Mark Simons over his conduct at half-time of the Zebras' First Division match with North Village on Sunday.

Castle, speaking out for the first time, said yesterday that Simons verbally abused and then attempted to fire him in the team's dressing room.

Castle said the abuse continued when the match resumed and he has since complained about Simons' conduct to new president Chris Furbert. And despite television reports to the contrary, Castle yesterday said he was still coach after Furbert asked him to "think about it'' over the next week. The club has an executive meeting next Monday when the matter will be discussed.

"As far as the president is concerned I am still the coach,'' said Castle.

"He did state they will be looking into the matter at their next executive meeting, but his sentiments to me were that the vice president was definitely out of order.

"That was my sentiments to him, that I didn't appreciate the verbal abuse that I received from the vice president and I'm not prepared to tolerate it.'' As the club had recently just lost their coach Johnny Nusum, who resigned last week, Castle says it was fortunate that the players did not see the confrontation, having already returned to the field.

"With his improper approach, I answered him back in a manner in which I don't think he totally accepted,'' Castle explained. "I also reminded him that I wasn't prepared to deal with him. His approach was just like a spectator's.

"Some of the things that came out of his mouth sounded like a personal attack against me. I want to make it sure that I can't tolerate that and I told the president that.

"If he felt that I needed to be fired then go about the right procedure. I'm calling on the club to do something so that it doesn't happen again.'' Simons, who was voted in for a second term as vice president just last week, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

It is not known what prompted the dispute, although the team's play -- PHC are struggling near the bottom of the standings -- is one likely explanation.

"Being a young vice president he (Simons) needs to make himself more knowledgeable on the club's constitution and procedure,'' said Castle.

"He, as the vice president, just cannot wholly and solely fire me as the coach. He actually fired me and told me to hand in my keys and call it a day.

"I think he owes the club an apology and on those lines he needs to be disciplined.'' Castle said the incident was witnessed by his assistant Cecil Robinson as well as the president.

"I don't think I was wrong in any way, I was just reacting to a verbal attack,'' he said. "He persisted to torment me throughout the second half and then after the match.

"The president has only been in office a week and inside seven days he has had to look at the coach resigning and one of his executive members firing the interim coach.'' Castle expressed his desire to see the job through to the end of the season.

"We need to look at moving ahead, we do have a young team and it's a lot of work,'' he said.

"We can survive but we cannot survive without the support of the executive members.''