McLaughlin's Dundalk improving

There isn't a great deal that happened at Oriel Park over the past 50 years that my father-in-law, Jim Malone, didn't have a hand in. At one time or another over the years he was a director of Dundalk he played a hand in most things from picking the team to running the finances to redecorating the place. But when he was telling the stories there was absolutely nothing he wasn't at the centre of.

Jim passed on just over a year ago but he's still fondly remembered by those in the game for he was the sort of man who told a good story and, in turn, inspired them. Des Casey recently recalled the time, on the eve of a big match, that his old friend had arrived at the club to see how the efforts of the groundsmen and a team of volunteers to clear the pitch of snow were coming along.

As it happened, one of the local papers had sent somebody along to record the effort and Jim, noticing that everybody seemed otherwise engaged, duly posed for the cameraman with a smile on his face and shovel in his hand. The picture duly appeared over a "Local Hero Strives To Save Game" or some such caption. Had it been another director, there might have bitterness over the stunt but Jim's rogueishness was difficult to get too annoyed about.

One of the events which Jim particularly enjoyed awarding himself a central role in was the arrival at Oriel, back in the early Seventies, of the club's most successful manager - Jim McLaughlin. His account may or may not be true, but the way I heard it, the Northerner would never have got his foot in the door had it not been for Jim's work behind the scenes.

Aside from being an admirer of his work, Jim was wildly fond of McLaughlin and was one of the directors who supported his reappointment when Dermot Keely got the job instead. After seeing the new man's dedication to the role he was won over and was subsequently thrilled by another championship success but still he harboured the hope that, some day, McLaughlin would return. In August of this year, he finally did.

Four months on and the Dundalk team which McLaughlin brought to Inchicore on Sunday already shows many of the strengths associated with the manager. They may have lost - their second defeat in 10 games - but there has been a marked improvement in key areas over the team that flirted with relegation last season and new signings Shane Reddish, Paul Carlyle and, particularly, Raymond Campbell have all greatly added to the strength of the team.

The side has rediscovered its goalscoring touch having bagged more than any of the top three teams so far.

Since being moved up front Brian Byrne has continued to be one of the club's key players but in a game like Sunday's when his team mates were, for much of the afternoon, preoccupied with containment, his talent can seem slightly wasted and the return of a player like Joe Gallen, who recently indicated his desire to resign for the club, might allow Byrne to return to his more familiar, more consistently productive, role out wide.

Just how much leeway the manager has to continue his squad strengthening is a little unclear. A couple of months ago when outlining a fairly awful financial situation to the board, chairman Enda McGuill is believed to have hinted that without outside investment the club's long-term future appeared somewhat gloomy.

Hopes were high at that time that the town, which has already produced so many investors in the game here, would throw up at least one more saviour but there has been no indication since then that on the money front things are set to get all that much better.

Still, the team is in safe hands. Wherever Jim McLaughlin has worked as a manager, with the exception of his brief stint at Drogheda, he has brought success and there seems every reason to believe that, given even half decent resources, things will continue to improve.

And wherever he is, Jim Malone must be happy. His man is back at the helm and he will, doubtless, be taking all of the credit for the reunion. It was, he'll surely maintain with a chancer's smile, all down to his tireless work . . . behind the scenes.