Connor takes over reins from Gill at Dundalk

SOCCER LEAGUE OF IRELAND: A WEEK after settling his longstanding dispute with former employers Bohemians, Seán Connor was back in football yesterday after being appointed to succeed John Gill at newly promoted Dundalk.

"I'm obviously delighted to be back in football management," said the former Sligo Rovers boss at a press conference to confirm his appointment last night.

"I don't think a better club or opportunity could have come up. Hopefully, we have got something that we are going to build on over the next couple of seasons."

Connor suggested there will be a fair bit of movement in and out of the squad over the coming weeks as he looks to assemble a team capable of staying up next year.

"The first thing the board said to me was that next year will be about stability, to remain in the Premier Division. Only by staying in the Premier Division can you move forward and push for the top four.

"I have been involved with two clubs in the Premier Division and I have never been involved in a relegation battle.

"I plan to start pre-season, January 14th, and at this stage it would be difficult to say (how many of the current squad will be coming back for it).

"I plan to meet them all, (but) the one thing I did at Sligo when we got promoted was that I got rid of 12, brought in 10, because you need a different calibre of player in the Premier Division."

Connor has been appointed on a one-year rolling contract, but he insisted the terms are not a major concern.

"I had a three-year contract at my last club (Bohemians) and it counted for nothing," he said. "If you're winning enough matches, contracts take care of themselves."

Asked about the club's decision not to renew Gill's contract despite the club winning promotion, he observed; "I think John did a tremendous job over last couple of seasons. Why he is not here is nothing to do with myself."

Gill, meanwhile, expressed disappointment last night at the decision to replace him, as well as some annoyance over the way he feels he has been treated by the club's board. "The circumstances of my departure have been strange, to say the least," he said.

"Three years ago I was mandated to get the club promoted, which I have achieved. In fact, in year one we won a play-off only to be denied promotion for off-the-field reasons which were outside my remit and beyond my control.

"We then regrouped, only to be beaten in a promotion play-off, before, this year, we won the championship. This was in spite of the fact that an already-pressurised situation was exacerbated by speculation over my position which could have been easily nipped in the bud by those in a position to do so. My players and staff deserve great credit for achieving our goal of promotion in the face of these trying circumstances.

"I feel that my results in my three years at Dundalk speak for themselves and, if judged on results, as is the norm, I do not believe there would be any question marks over whether I would continue in my role.

"Of course, the people who run the club are ultimately entitled to see things differently and to appoint somebody else," he concluded, "but even then I think that after the contribution I have made I deserved better than to be strung along for three weeks before getting a call at noon on the day the new man was to be unveiled telling me my services are no longer required."