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Personal issues rather than a case of sour grapes was the reason Perth Glory assistant coach Kenny Lowe quit the A-League club, according to deputy chairman Lui Giuliani.
Lowe’s resignation came a week after head coach Dave Mitchell handed the reins to assistant Ian Ferguson, sparking speculation Lowe was unhappy at being overlooked for the top job.
But Giuliani revealed Lowe’s decision to quit had nothing to do with club matters.
“It’s more a case of unfortunate timing,” Giuliani said.
“Kenny’s been contemplating this for some months.
“He’s had a number of personal issues arise.
“They’re not health issues but just personal issues, and because of that he felt like he had to go.
“He apologised for the timing. It’s a decision he had to make to move on with his personal matters.
“I rang him up yesterday and tried to convince him to change his mind but I understood his decision.
“Unfortunately he’s moving on but he’s offered to help us with video analysis work on a part-time basis.”
Lowe didn’t return calls on Tuesday but issued a two-line statement via the club.
“I’ve had a great time with Perth Glory and really appreciate Dave Mitchell and Tony Sage bringing me to the club and giving me a chance at the top level,” Lowe said.
“I feel it’s the right decision and I hope Ian Ferguson and Perth Glory have a really successful season.”
It has been a tumultuous period for the Glory, who have slipped to eighth on the table following a club-record five losses on the trot.
Ferguson and Lowe, who is also head coach of Football West’s National Training Centre, started the season as Perth’s two assistants under Mitchell.
But with Ferguson now in the top job and Lowe gone, no specialised assistants are left, with the club set to explore their options both internally and externally over the coming months.
“It’s amazing when someone resigns how quickly it gets out and how quickly we get CVs,” Giuliani said.
“We will assess our internal resources and we’ll asses who’s available out there.”
Giuliani ruled out any prospect of Mitchell, who is now the director of football, filling in as Ferguson’s assistant.
Goalkeeper Aleks Vrteski said Lowe’s resignation had saddened the player group.
“Kenny’s been one of the greats of the team,” Vrteski said on Tuesday.
“He’s always offering help to the younger players, he’s got that link about him.
“He looks after the young boys and he offers a lot of assistance to the older players and his knowledge of the game is second to none.”
In better news for the Glory, marquee man Robbie Fowler returned to the club on Tuesday after a two-week stay in England.
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