Devonshire Colts' president Lee Holder and his administration could be facing a vote of no confidence, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

It has been learned that discussions between the club's management and a group of esteemed ex-players and coaches – headed up by honorary vice-presidents Donald Dane, Walter Stevens and Kenneth Richardson – have soured, with the former unwilling to take any further part in talks around the table.

Colts' miserable season has seen them winless in the league and witnessed coach Ray Jones banned for two years by Bermuda Football Association.–"We met with them (Colts management) once (last January) but since then they have failed to attend two meetings," group spokesman Vic Ball claimed. "But we will not go away and will pursue this matter until we get this club right, period.

"We are not going anywhere and we want our loyal supporters and sponsors to recognise that this group is here to get Colts back on a firm foundation. We don't want to run the club, but we are not going to watch Devonshire Colts be run to the ground by this group (current administration) or any other group for that matter."

The group, which also includes former Colts stars Gary Darrell and Albert Dowling, have become increasingly concerned over a plethora of issues, including the club's decision to allow Jones to continue coaching behind the scenes, which they claim have tarnished the club's image and threaten to undermine the vision and core values established decades ago by late founding member Edward Dejuan.

"Mr.Dejuan (late Howard Academy principal) had a vision to use football to enhance the character and development of young men in the community. Football was more than just a game to that group of young men that came out of Howard Academy," Ball continued.

"In attempting to achieve that objective it meant players had to be very disciplined, structured and organised and be able to set a standard of what was expected of them. The philosophy basically was character development through football and I think over the years the standards which Devonshire Colts were known for have slowly declined."

The group, who call themselves "Concerned ex-players and coaches of Devonshire Colts", are also seeking the resignation of club treasurer and senior football coach Jones.

Jones is at the centre of the group's concerns along with BFA executive Holder who they say have ignored a number of internal matters that have played a significant part in Colts' poor form in the Premier Division for the past two seasons.

The group also insist that president Holder is not the right man for the job.

"Fundamentally, we are lacking good leadership in the administrative area and a lack of structure and discipline in the area where the players are concerned and I think the combination of those two are contributing to the results we are witnessing today," Ball argued.

"People once had a lot of respect for us but over the years. The standards have been allowed to decline and hence we are where we are today with the club sitting on the bottom of the league without a single win in league competition, which is totally foreign to the culture of Devonshire Colts and the performances that the club have put in over the years.

"When Donald Dane coached, the team never came below third place in the league. We have drifted and so the objective of this concerned group of ex -players and officials is simply to try and help the present executive move the club back to where it used to be.

"Most times when you get to a point like this it is something that has not happened overnight. It is something that has been a decline over the years but now things at the club have gotten worse."

As for the controversial Jones, Ball believes Holder's administration should have taken the proverbial bull by the horns and disciplined the former Colts defender.

"The suspension or removal of the head coach of the Premier team should have occured the moment he had been given a two-year suspension by the governing body (BFA) because there's just no efficent way he can effectively coach under normal circumstances," Ball said.

"He cannot be there on any given Sunday in presence or in word because he is not allowed by the BFA and so the club should have said 'either step aside or we are going to suspend you'."

Former Colts coach and technical director, David Furbert, said he hoped discussions between his group and the club's current administration could resume at the earliest possible date, adding how he and his colleagues were now prepared to do "whatever is necessary" to restore the club to its past prestige.

"We can call a special meeting and that's when we will have the opportunity to meet with the executive if they continue to ignore our request to meet with them," he suggested. "The bottom line is that the concerned group of ex-players and coaches are willing to do whatever is necessary to rebuild and preserve the reputation of Devonshire Colts."

Holder could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Earlier this season Jones was banned by the BFA for bringing the game into dispute after a verbal spat with referee Ronue Cann during a November Premier clash at St.John's Field.

The Colts coach, who at the time of the incident served as the BFA's treasurer, was banned after unsuccessfully appealing against an initial one-year probation that was overturned by an association appeals committee upon review of Jones' past disciplinary record.

Colts striker, Aljame Zuill, was scheduled to go before a BFA disciplinary committee last night.

Since forming last January, the group of ex- Colts players and coaches have drafted a 14-page document that lists complaints against the current administration that have refused to indulge in any further discussions.