Call for Kilcoyne's resignation

IN THE fall-out from Louis Kilcoyne's startling admission on Monday night that he was "disappointed" his first preference as Irish manager did not get the job ahead of Mick McCarthy, the Shelbourne secretary/director, Ollie Byrne, yesterday led the calls for his resignation.

By the end of the day, however, Kilcoyne was felt obliged to climb down somewhat.

Though emphasising he was not speaking on behalf of Shelbourne FC, Byrne said: "As far as I'm concerned Mr Kilcoyne should resign. His comments on Monday were in extremely bad taste. As president of the association he has to take responsibility for them."

Responding to this, last night Kilcoyne said: "That's a matter for the executive of the association, not for public debate." By way of explanation for Monday night's remarks, Kilcoyne acknowledged he had made "a gaffe", adding: "Right or wrong I was caught in an off guard situation by a surprise first question. I responded as I did to the question, which I now regret. I spoke to Mick today and he had no difficulty with the matter."

This falls short of an equivocal apology, but Byrne said: "In my opinion there will have to be a vote of no confidence."

In that, the Shelbourne secretary is liable to win some swift support. At least two members of the 23-man executive council, who declined to be named - one from a National League club and the other from junior football - echoed the widespread anger within the game over Kilcoyne's remarks.

One of them said: "My own personal view is that he should resign. It was diabolical what he did. You don't go public with views like that within hours of Mick McCarthy appointment. It's bad enough coming from a member of the public but from the president it's even worse. Certainly, at the very least, he owes Mick McCarthy and the association an apology

Monday night's revelation on behalf of the association's president is but the latest in a line of developments which have caused anger within the executive council, but more pertinently, the game as a whole. There was widespread dissatisfaction at the manner in which the managerial head-hunting was conducted. In particular, the apparently age-old cloak and dagger machinations, along with the fact that there were more leaks than the proverbial soup strainer.

Byrne raised the point as to what the exact functions of the newly appointed FAI Press Officer, P.J. Mara, who suddenly appeared at Monday's press conference to formally announce the worst kept secret in the history of the gage. "What was P.J. Mara doing all this time?" asked Byrne. "Why wasn't P.J. Mara speaking on issues like this."

Another statement by Kilcoyne which is certain to generate a fair old hornet's nest at the next executive meeting was his ambiguous comments in relation to the appointment of McCarthy's assistant.

Against all stated policy heretofore, on Monday night Kilcoyne intimated that he wouldn't have any problem in yielding to a full-time assistant manager's role, adding: "It remains to be seen. We have to fine tune some of the factors in Mick's contract, shall we say, and whether or not Mick will have a full-time assistant or not remains to be seen."

This will have come as news to practically everyone within the executive council and full council but last night Kilcoyne also conceded some ground on this issue. "That's a misunderstanding. It is a part-time job. There's no doubt about it."