Barbadian Premier League side Bagatelle is now in the market for a new senior leader ahead of the upcoming third edition of the Prime Minister’s Cup, following the voluntary departure of head coach Norman Forde. A former Barbados national team star, Forde engineered a stunning turnaround for the club in his tenure, delivering promotion from Division One to the top flight and successfully keeping Bagatelle in the Premier League last season. Now, the coach says he has decided to move on after feeling he had taken the squad as far as he could in his current role.
In an exclusive conversation with Barbados TODAY, Forde emphasized that the split was entirely amicable, with no unresolved tension or major disputes driving his exit. “It was an absolute privilege to work with everyone at Bagatelle,” he explained. “I’ve achieved everything I set out to do here, and now I’m ready to seek out new challenges. Right now, my priority is stepping back to rest and recharge, with an eye toward potentially joining a new side next year for a fresh opportunity.”
Forde went on to reflect on his surprisingly successful stint with the club, noting that even he did not anticipate how far the team would go during his time in charge. In his first season at the helm, Bagatelle finished second in Division One to secure promotion to the Premier League, then managed to avoid relegation in their first top-flight campaign the following year. “I don’t carry a single bad memory from my time at Bagatelle,” he said. “Like any football club, we had small growing pains and minor challenges along the way, but none of those were ever serious enough to make me want to leave. This was always a positive environment for me and the squad.”
With the Prime Minister’s Cup set to kick off in just over a month, speculation has already begun about whether Forde could jump into a new coaching role in time for the competition. The coach remained noncommittal, however, saying he plans to step away from the game entirely for the immediate future. “I’m traveling out this weekend for a couple of weeks, and my only plan right now is to rest,” he said. “Last season took a huge physical and mental toll from all the preparation and training, so I need that time to recharge. I can’t say yes or no to a new role right now — I’m just going to wait and see what opportunities come my way once my break is over.”
This departure marks the end of Forde’s second major coaching stint in Barbadian club football. He previously spent several years leading his old youth club Youth Milan, though that tenure ended with the club being relegated from the top flight. Looking back on his career, Forde said he considers his work at Bagatelle a resounding success, even compared to his earlier role. “I was far more prepared and knowledgeable when I took this job, so I’d definitely give myself a passing grade for what we accomplished here,” he noted.
Forde also highlighted the unique challenge of leading Bagatelle, which ranks among the smaller clubs in the Premier League and lacks the depth of elite talent that sides like Wales and Paradise boast. Despite that gap in resources, Forde and his squad managed to exceed all expectations by building a cohesive, disciplined group committed to executing the game plan week in and week out. That culture-building achievement is something he remains particularly proud of as he moves on to the next phase of his career.