Cork boss keen to resolve future

Damien Richardson last night expressed the hope that his future might be resolved through talks after Cork City issued a statement claiming that the manager had suggested in negotiations that he was considering other offers.

With the club's main official, Aidan Tynan, not available for comment, City said in its statement that it had indicated to Richardson that it intended to appoint a Director of Football and the manager said that he had had offers to manage elsewhere.

"Obviously, it is up to Damien to decide whether or not to accept those offers or to look to renew his contract with Cork City and we will continue to discuss this with him," continued the statement.

Richardson, though, dismissed the claim, saying that he had told the club's former owner, Brian Lennox, more than a year ago that he had been approached by another club (Derry City) when the pair were discussing a new three-year deal. He also said that at the time Lennox and he had talked about the possibility of him taking up the role of Director of Football.

"My role would have been to find my successor as manager and then move up to being Director of Football," said Richardson.

The contract under discussion at that time, however, was never signed and the new owners of the club appear to be talking about bringing in a Director of Football over Richardson's head. Indeed when they told him that it was their intention to make such an appointment they said that "that person will determine the club's future footballing needs".

The name of former Leeds United goalkeeper John Lukic has been mentioned in connection with this role and there were strong rumours on Sunday at the RDS that the imminence of an appointment had effectively made Richardson's departure inevitable. A notion the manager did little to dispel after the game.

Last night, however, Richardson appeared to want to resolve the situation and stay on if possible. "The position needs clarification," he said, "and the best way to clarify things is to talk. Like everybody else I want what is best for the club and if that involves me staying then I'll stay.

"I've already spoken to players about coming here next year and I've reported to the board about those talks so I've been doing my job and I intend to continue doing my job until somebody tells me that I'm not to keep doing it."

In relation to the current players, the club said that it had offered all of the squad members that Richardson indicated he wanted to keep "significantly improved" contracts and that the only players still out of contract are those who have not agreed to the terms offered. The club, though, has been criticised by several squad members over its attitude. City's general manager Tynan said over the weekend it is expected the club will make a net loss of €1 million next year.

Longford manager Alan Mathews, meanwhile, reiterated his intention to meet his club's board over the next few days in order to ascertain whether he has a future at Flancare Park.

The main issue, he has said, is the way in which the board intend to run the club now that it has been relegated to the first division.

Many of the team that featured in the cup final on Sunday at the RDS are expected to depart with several already strongly linked to other League of Ireland clubs, including team captain Damien Brennan (Shelbourne), Ian Ryan (Dundalk), Kevin Doherty (Bray Wanderers) and Dessie Baker (Shamrock Rovers).

St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United are reportedly both interested in signing Sean Prunty while Dave Mooney will, having already turned down the terms offered by Crystal Palace, be weighing up other offers.

Waterford United confirmed yesterday the signing of 22-year-old defender Stephen Quigley from St Patrick's.