McDonnell not willing to step back with St Pat's

LEAGUE OF IRELAND:THE FINANCIAL crisis sweeping through the League of Ireland claimed another victim yesterday with John McDonnell opting to part company with St Patrick's Athletic rather than oversee the club's return to part-time football.

The position of the 43-year-old Dubliner, who took on the job in 2004, had seemed to be under threat on a number of occasions during the years since but he signed a new contract last summer after which the club performed disappointingly in the league, eventually finishing 19 points behind champions Bohemians, who also beat them in the semi-finals of the FAI Cup.

They did well in Europe, though, particularly in the second qualifying round, when they came from behind in both legs to beat Elfsborgs of Sweden 4-3 on aggregate, and the first round proper against Hertha Berlin.

The manner of the cup defeat by Bohemians had raised renewed doubts about whether owner Garrett Kelleher would keep faith with a manager who had been given considerable resources to build a team capable of becoming champions but chief executive Richard Sadlier insisted yesterday McDonnell had decided to walk himself rather than take what he considered to be a major step backwards.

"Having gotten his pro licence and given the progress he's made as a coach," said Sadlier, "John didn't want to stay at the club given the direction we've taken. We've got to respect that. It was amicable and we wish him well for the future."

Speaking on Des Cahill's show on RTÉ radio yesterday evening, McDonnell confirmed it was a reluctance to go back to a part-time set-up that had made up his mind to leave and he acknowledged that, in the current climate, he could not be sure where his next opportunity would arise.

His successor's job, meanwhile, will involve the managing of the transition back to a part-time set-up at Richmond Park, although the task is unlikely to be entirely straightforward. Despite having sold Keith Fahey to Birmingham City and allowing another nine players to leave, St Patrick's still have 15 full-time professionals on their books, at a cost of around €1.35 million per year.

Kelleher is said to remain committed to the club despite the problems he has encountered with his hugely ambitious Chicago Spire project but players staying with the club for next season have been asked to take a 30 per cent pay cut and there are considerable doubts about the proposed development of a new stadium in Inchicore.

"Discussions are taking place with the remaining players," said Sadlier. "Some are happy to stay and some are happy to move to other clubs. We lost a huge amount of money last year, though, and if we don't drastically change things then it will be the same this year."

Asked about possible successors to McDonnell, Sadlier suggested that potential candidates had not yet been identified but that the club expected to be able to hire a well-qualified replacement without compromising its pursuit of reduced costs.

"We haven't drawn up a short list or anything like that but while managers have been on good money, that's not really available from clubs now. We don't feel we have to compromise on quality. We have decided to go part-time and whoever the manager is will know that they have to work within that structure."

Paul Doolin, John Gill and Eddie Gormley were amongst the favourites for the job being mentioned by bookmakers last night.

Former Ipswich Town striker David Geddis and ex-Ireland international Brian Carey are, meanwhile, both believed to have turned down the manager's job at Cork City.

Club owner Tom Coughlan, who offered the post to former Cork Gaelic football boss Billy Morgan before Christmas, has apparently contacted the League Manager's Association in England asking for a list of potential candidates.

The Football Managers' Association of Ireland has, however, also been in touch with its sister organisation to outline the circumstances of Alan Mathews's dismissal from the job and to inform would-be candidates of the club's failure since to pay him any of the money he is due under the terms of his contract.

A number of players have expressed frustration over the dismissal of Mathews, the ongoing failure to find a successor and the delay in offering new deals to a number of key squad members.

Meanwhile, Drogheda United expect to hear from the PFAI over the course of today whether the club's players have accepted the terms of a proposed settlement with regard to unpaid wages and bonuses that was brokered with the help of the FAI earlier this week. Approval of the deal is considered to be a prerequisite to the success of any rescue plan.