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Zebras coach Furbert quits after poor start

Premier Division side PHC will be searching for their fourth coach in 18 months following Wendell Furbert’s resignation after just four games in charge of the team.Sports committee chairman Mark Wade, a former player with the Zebras who later became coach before stepping down after four years in March, 2006, was in charge of the team on Sunday. Furbert reportedly stood down following the 2-1 loss to North Village in the Dudley Eve competition a week ago.It is not known whether Wade will take on the job on a permanent basis as he also holds the post of Player Development Committee chairman with the Bermuda Football Association who may see the dual role as a conflict of interest.Neither Wade nor Furbert returned calls yesterday seeking comment.Whoever takes the job will be the club’s third coach since Kyle Lightbourne resigned at the end of the 2010-2011 season after guiding the team to multiple honours during his four years at the helm.Lightbourne was replaced by Brian (Bulla) Anderson at the start of last season, with Furbert as his assistant.It was an appointment that Wade applauded, stating that Anderson was the right man for the job. “Brian brings experience and some of the old school values that I think are lost in some areas, certainly on the discipline side and some of the values of hard work,” Wade told The Royal Gazette in August 2011.And he was full of praise for Furbert in that same article, saying: “Wendell has been promoted from our junior programme and so we definitely view him as a coach for the future.”However, neither coach lasted long enough to carry on the work established by Lightbourne, with Furbert taking over the reins at the beginning of the season and failing to win a game. His team lost to Somerset and North Village 4-1 and 2-1 in the Dudley Eve and Devonshire Cougars 2-1 in the league, before drawing 1-1 with Southampton Rangers in their second league match.Wade had a winning start, though, leading the Zebras to their first win of the season, a 3-1 success away to league champions Dandy Town on Sunday.Lightbourne, now coaching Robin Hood, and Anderson both watched the match.