Sean Connolly

[Buile Shuibhne]

Sean Connolly, former FAI General Secretary and Dundalk CEO, has been appointed CEO of Stockport County.

Some of my friends over there are looking for some background info on him.


The announcement from the Stockport chairman below, seems to 'gild the lily' a bit about his stints in the FAI and Dundalk.

Anyone able to provide any info / opinions?

I seem to remember he left Merrion Sq in the usual controversial manner? Was it something to do with the finances on an extension to his house?

Why did he leave Dundalk? Jim Gannon resigned shortly afterwards as manager there, citing Connolly's departure?



In the interim period we have appointed Sean Connolly to act as Chief Executive during this challenging period. He will join the club on Thursday. Previously he was working at senior level in the Irish Department of Finance.During the so-called Jack Charlton era in Irish football he was General Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland and is credited with moving the Association from a cash-strapped organisation to a multi-million business in a short number of years..

In 2005 he answered a call from his home town club, Dundalk, who were on the verge of extinction as they struggled with severe financial pressures.In a period of eight months part-time work Seán succeeded in turning a club, the second most successful in Ireland but then in severe difficulties in the lower regions of the lowest league division, and that he described as "insolvent and technically trading recklessly" into one that is now in the Premier League and that has returned a profit in each of the past two years.Jim Gannon was manager of Dundalk during that time and Seán has kept in contact with him since then.

Sean says "Stockport County needs off-field management to match that of Jim Gannon on the playing field.I think my experience in business and my knowledge of government agencies will help me get the club ready to move on to success in the immediate future."

http://www.stockportcounty.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10419~1585830,00.html

[seand]

To describe his Dundalk claims as extraordinary would do a grave disservice to the word 'extraordinary'. The suggestion that anything he did helped put Dundalk in the position they are now (solvent in the Premier) is not so much stretching the truth as an utter lie. Which is not surprising coming from Connolly. :mad:

[noisecontrol]

" then in severe difficulties in the lower regions of the lowest league division, and that he described as "insolvent and technically trading recklessly" into one that is now in the Premier League "

Bit misleading given that there are only two divisions in the League of Ireland...I wonder do our friends across the Irish sea realise this...

[jinxy lilywhite]

I'd rather not comment on the debacle of Mr Connolly's tenure.

[eamoss]

Sean Connolly came up with the idea of making money from the pitch but we ended up having to sell our training ground because of him. But if that never happened we would have never gotten Gerry Matthews on board (our current CEO and owner of the club) and he is the one who got us into the position we are at now.

[Westernblue]

Not much hope for poor Stockport County so. They seem to be doing a mini Sunderland with all the Irish connections. Jim Gannon manager, players Leon McSweeney, Gary Dicker, Declan Edwards and Dave Mooney was on loan there recently and now Mr. Connolly.
Think Stockport are owned by the supporters. Gannon doing a good job there as he has them on the fringe of the play offs and had to sell some of his best players in January to get some money in.

[Jersey Cow]

Connolly did work wonders at Dundalk by keeping Dundalk afloat as well as paying wages every week even though Dundalk played most of their "home" matches in Monaghan.....also when the pitch did eventually open the amount of advertising and sponsorship around the ground was huge....

[jinxy lilywhite]

Connolly did work wonders at Dundalk by keeping Dundalk afloat as well as paying wages every week even though Dundalk played most of their "home" matches in Monaghan.....also when the pitch did eventually open the amount of advertising and sponsorship around the ground was huge....

That season we suffered numerous occasions where players were not paid. At that time I think we used the same "clerical error with the bank" as Cork use. Ask Judas McGuinness in the PFAI and he'll tell you. Coupled with crap home trips in Monaghan and a couple in drogheda, that was just a season I'd love to blank out of my memory.
Remember they sent in the diggers before the club got funding from it and nearly broke the club because no bank would touch us to complete the job. Under his stewardship we lost our only asset in Hiney Park.
Thank God Gerry Matthews saw an opportunity in the club and helped us out because god knows where we would be. I don't want to place all the blame on Mr Connolly but the stockport fc statement is just a fabrication of the truth

[Jersey Cow]

Well then fair play to Connolly for bringing Gerry Matthews into Oriel as you are now far better off because of it.....

[seand]

Well then fair play to Connolly for bringing Gerry Matthews into Oriel as you are now far better off because of it.....

Saying fair play to Connolly for bringing in Matthews is the equivalent of saying fair play to the Kilcoynes for setting up the Shamrock Rovers 400 Club!

[Ezeikial]

Under his stewardship we lost our only asset in Hiney Park.
Thank God Gerry Matthews saw an opportunity in the club and helped us out because god knows where we would be. I don't want to place all the blame on Mr Connolly but the stockport fc statement is just a fabrication of the truth

Theres very little on this thread that actually sheds any light on Sean Connolly contribution (or otherwise) during his short period at Dundalk

Hiney Park was sold to rescue the club from extinction - the financial problems were already in existence before Sean Connoly came on board; to imply that he was somehow responsible for "losing" this asset is unfair.

The fact that you dont place all the blame on Connolly certainly implies that you hold him partially responsible - but why?

Theres no doubt that the Stockport County statement giving Sean Connolly the credit for the current stable financial position at Oriel Park is totally misleading, and that the primary credit is due to Gerry Matthews and others currently at Oriel Park.

But please dont scapegoat others without any apparent substance

[SMorgan]

Theres very little on this thread that actually sheds any light on Sean Connolly contribution (or otherwise) during his short period at Dundalk

Hiney Park was sold to rescue the club from extinction - the financial problems were already in existence before Sean Connoly came on board; to imply that he was somehow responsible for "losing" this asset is unfair.

The fact that you dont place all the blame on Connolly certainly implies that you hold him partially responsible - but why?

Theres no doubt that the Stockport County statement giving Sean Connolly the credit for the current stable financial position at Oriel Park is totally misleading, and that the primary credit is due to Gerry Matthews and others currently at Oriel Park.

But please dont scapegoat others without any apparent substance

Well Ezeikial. Lets put it this way. You say that hiney Park was sold to save the club. Well then, how much of Dundalk's debt was cleared by the sale of Hiney Park? Not a cent as I understand. The money from the sale and the grant went on work that SC have done to ground and the debt the club had was not reduced under SC. Do you remember the Jack White articles in the Mail on Sunday? Of course SC was going to sue. I don't remember it going before the Courts, do you???

Also, he'll for ever be remembered as the man that told Dundalk fans that the new playing surface was in containers in Dublin Docks at a time when the surface hadn't been ordered.

[Ezeikial]

To clarify, I am neither an apologist for, nor advocate of Sean Connolly, but simply interested in balanced and fair comment without the usual innuendo and insinuations

Hiney Park sale – Most informed observers (and I daresay this includes SMorgan) are well aware that at that time Dundalk were in a financial mess and were in real danger of going out of existence. The proceeds from the sale of Hiney Park was undoubtedly a major factor in surviving this challenging period.
Answering a question with a question does not provide any further insight or clarity

Jack White article– I recall Jack White wrote articles in Ireland on Sunday – what is your point, other then asking another diversionary question

Ordering of New Pitch – I don’t recall the alleged comment, but if are saying that Sean Connolly will be forever remember for distorting the truth, he will have a lot of company in Irish Soccer’s hall of bluffers

[Martinho II]

That season we suffered numerous occasions where players were not paid. At that time I think we used the same "clerical error with the bank" as Cork use. Ask Judas McGuinness in the PFAI and he'll tell you. Coupled with crap home trips in Monaghan and a couple in drogheda, that was just a season I'd love to blank out of my memory.
Remember they sent in the diggers before the club got funding from it and nearly broke the club because no bank would touch us to complete the job. Under his stewardship we lost our only asset in Hiney Park.
Thank God Gerry Matthews saw an opportunity in the club and helped us out because god knows where we would be. I don't want to place all the blame on Mr Connolly but the stockport fc statement is just a fabrication of the truth

that brings back memories of that what season did this happen in??

[holidaysong]

that brings back memories of that what season did this happen in??

2005. It was the year we had 10 draws in a row at the end of the season. :o

[bennocelt]

i only remember him around the time of 1990 and all - and he struck me then as a slime ball, very dodgy bloke - perfect for the FAI

[jinxy lilywhite]

Theres very little on this thread that actually sheds any light on Sean Connolly contribution (or otherwise) during his short period at Dundalk

Hiney Park was sold to rescue the club from extinction - the financial problems were already in existence before Sean Connoly came on board; to imply that he was somehow responsible for "losing" this asset is unfair.

The fact that you dont place all the blame on Connolly certainly implies that you hold him partially responsible - but why?

Theres no doubt that the Stockport County statement giving Sean Connolly the credit for the current stable financial position at Oriel Park is totally misleading, and that the primary credit is due to Gerry Matthews and others currently at Oriel Park.

But please dont scapegoat others without any apparent substance

I don't place all the blame on him because our problems where an accumulation of years of spending beyond our means and abusing the goodwill of the people of dundalk who really just got fed up bailing us out all the time.
Mr Connolly was at the helm at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
& Ezeikal I'm not scapegoating anybody for our previous problems but that stockport fc statement is a fabrication of the truth as i pointed out in an earlier post.

[Ezeikial]

I don't place all the blame on him because our problems where an accumulation of years of spending beyond our means and abusing the goodwill of the people of dundalk who really just got fed up bailing us out all the time.
Mr Connolly was at the helm at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
& Ezeikal I'm not scapegoating anybody for our previous problems but that stockport fc statement is a fabrication of the truth as i pointed out in an earlier post.

Agreed that Stockport statement is fabrication of the truth.

But it seems incredible to me that you apportion some element of blame at Sean Connolly's door for being "at the wrong place and at the wrong time".

Apart from being foolish or brave (take your pick) in taking on a difficult and thankless job (given the total financial mess), what specifically did Sean Connolly do at Dundalk to warrent any "blame" or criticism?

[Ezeikial]

Sean Connolly, former FAI General Secretary and Dundalk CEO, has been appointed CEO of Stockport County.

Some of my friends over there are looking for some background info on him.



Why did he leave Dundalk? Jim Gannon resigned shortly afterwards as manager there, citing Connolly's departure?




http://www.stockportcounty.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10419~1585830,00.html

Just located this link which may help explain the circumstances of his departure from Dundalk
http://www.eleven-a-side.com/first/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=19883

[SMorgan]

To clarify, I am neither an apologist for, nor advocate of Sean Connolly, but simply interested in balanced and fair comment without the usual innuendo and insinuations

You certainly fooled me.


Hiney Park sale – Most informed observers (and I daresay this includes SMorgan) are well aware that at that time Dundalk were in a financial mess and were in real danger of going out of existence. The proceeds from the sale of Hiney Park was undoubtedly a major factor in surviving this challenging period. Answering a question with a question does not provide any further insight or clarity.

You know quite well the point I am making and you're ignoring it. Everybody knows that Dundalk had a considerable amount of debt when Connolly arrived at the club and significantly, when he left the club. But it’s a total distortion to suggest that the sale of Hiney Park had anything to do with those debts. The reason the Hiney Park was sold in the hast that it was, was to allow the club to draw down the government grant and finish the work that the club had started. The future of the club was in considerable doubt because that is where those running the club at that particular time landed the club. The sale of the ground was not required to service the debts that the club had when Connolly joined. Much of that debt was still in place when Connolly left. In fact, I’d be very surprised if the debt wasn’t greater after the sale of Hiney Park.


Jack White article– I recall Jack White wrote articles in Ireland on Sunday – what is your point, other then asking another diversionary question

The point I would had thought is obvious. The articles written by Jack White challenged just about everything that Connolly was telling the fans. Far from being ‘diversionary’ the accusations made in JW’s articles are very relevant to SC’s time at Oriel Park and the fact that they weren’t challenged in the Courts says a lot to me.


Ordering of New Pitch – I don’t recall the alleged comment, but if are saying that Sean Connolly will be forever remember for distorting the truth, he will have a lot of company in Irish Soccer’s hall of bluffers

Okay, you remember reading the JW article and you remember that it was indeed, Ireland on Sunday and not the Mail on Sunday, but you don’t remember what the articles actually said. Perhaps if you reacquaint yourself with the content of the articles you’ll be better placed to defend SC. (oh sorry, give ‘balanced and fair comment’) Your suggestion that if SC was lying then he would not be the only within Irish Soccer says it all really.

I hope this post provides “insight and clarity”. Now say what you like as this is my last word on the matter. As far as I am concerned SC is a Stockport issue/concern and nothing to do with Dundalk anymore.

[Jersey Cow]

Ironically the Tom Baldwin ,(ref eleven-a-side article above) who left with Connoly at the time of his Oriel departure has a son in the Youth set-up at ....you guessed it STOCKPORT COUNTY!!
I would hazard a guess that it's "a job for the boys" scenario as Jim Gannon was given his first taste of management by the aforementioned men at Dundalk as well as taking young Baldwin in as a player at Edgeley Park....best of luck to them all!

[SMorgan]

I didn't know that. Hope everything goes well for Tom's son.

I always liked Tom. A sound guy.

[Buile Shuibhne]

http://forum.shelbournefc.ie/chat/viewtopic.php?t=10574&highlight=baldwin