Lawlor

[atfconline]

Any truth about Lawlor getting the flick at Longford? Some posts on the official site message board saying so.

Also at our AGM, heard some stuff about people trying to get rid of Duncan, and stuff about ye going fulltime this season, that all the players ye have signed so far have been signed up as full time players.

[Macy]

One post on the official board!!!!!!!!! (You????) Can't see it myself at this stage of the summer. There's a lot of sh!te about players not signing, but a lot of the squad weren't up for renewal this close season anyway...

Haven't heard anything about a shift against Duncan, but wouldn't be that shocked. AGM tonight, and as we're a members club who knows what could happen....

Is all you scum could find to talk about at your own AGM stuff about Longford!?! ;)

[atfconline]

Well there were three posts about it last night, none posted by myself! Probably just someone trying to stir ****, though normally its fairly obvious when the same person replies to thelselves. They looked like 3 different posts.

And it was before our AGM that someone was telling me that stuff! Although Longford did some up when they were telling us how bad our gates were last season ie, gate split from League Cup game

[Longfordian]

Have heard mutterings of a move against Duncan alright but i don't know if its just talk or they're actually goin to do something. Personally i don't think it would be a great idea, it would cause rows in the club and we need everyone fully committed to the club and its best interests. As for the full time players the plan originally was to go full time after this year but i'd imagine the likes of Ferguson are on pretty high wages. Lawlor's job is safe at present. This season is what he should be judged on, having been given the money to build his own team..

[sorbothegreek]

I've heard a few people complaining about the whole set-up, manager, chairman, and just about anything else possible. The said people would have positions within the club, but i dont think anyone takes them that serious.

[Macy]

Basically I think it can be pretty much put down to sh!t stirring...... And I'm reliably informed it is by people who have left the club since Lawlor took over - and not on the playing side.... Hopefully once the footy kicks off this will all stop, and Lawlor can be judged on what he does/doesn't achieve on the pitch (i.e. the way it should be!)

[TommyT]

Why would people want rid of Duncan ? Hasn't he put loads of money into your club ?

[atfconline]

hmmmm looks like I was right. Duncan is no longer Chairman, and Lawlor is no longer Manager.

Good luck this season!

[daithi]

Can anyone let us know what happened..........
:confused:

[sorbothegreek]

Im hearing some crap about us not having enough players signed for the new season, thats whats going round but it's obviously a cover-up of some sort. The players on board were good enough to beat Cork 3-0 last week.

There are some as*holes within the club that believe they know best as reguards team selection, (i.e more locals), whether they are good enough or not. The sales of Kelly and Kenny only added fuel to the fire.

It's my guess that these people are at the back of it somewhere.

[Pauro 76]

Shocked is not the word. Lawlor did a decent job keeping us up after the mess Kenny left us in, he did the best he could, even the best manager in the league would have struggled picking up the pieces after Kenny legged it. And is this his reward? The sack? F u c k i n g ridicolous. And none of that "he didnt sign enough players" c r a p. The rest of the eircom league had a headstart and we dont have as much money as $hel$ and the likes. Not too well informed about the guys upstairs, but who had final say in dismissing Lawlor, Jim Hanley or Adrian Duncan? Whoever it was shame on him, off to a bad start without even playing a game yet.

[sorbothegreek]

We're on a one way trip to the bottom of the league, nonsence is all i've heard from our new chairman today.
Lawlor it seems made the fatal mistake of not being Stephen Kenny. He's a thick sort of a man and he rubbed someone up the wrong way, but that shouldn't matter a s h i t, it's on the pitch that a manager should be judged.
Out committee have got a notion of self importance about themselfs now, but that's going to fade soon.

[Macy]

Well I've been Lawlor supporter since the start, but from the sketchy details I'm hearing I think we might be better waiting and hearing the facts.... Yes, the timing was f*cked up, and yes I do believe that he should've been given a chance, but I've heard from someone that is close to the club, and was a big Lawlor supporter, who after hearing the full story believes that the club had no choice.....
On another point, Duncan let it be known weeks ago that he was stepping down as chairman, but is staying on the committee..... Rooney has been made Town Clerk so would no longer have the time to be secretary......
I want full vocal backing of the team tonight, except Sheridan who I believe has scuttled back to the Town after Rovers didn't want him....

[sorbothegreek]

Im just saying it's a marked difference to the whole Roy Keane thing. The manager was backed 100% over the most contraversial thing ever in Irish football, we however have people who know better than the manager, who have never kicked a ball in their lives.
(maby an exaduration),

P.S. any chance of updates through tonights game? Some of have to work.

[Pauro 76]

Hopefully the truth will come out, the club at least owes that much to us. Who now for manager? Looks like Matthews wants to stay part-time, cant exactly see many candidates for the managers job banging down the door trying to get a job with us after this screw-up. Gun, foot, bang. Sorbo, ill get Marty to get ya txt updates if thats ok.

[sorbothegreek]

Euro topper Pauro!

[sorbothegreek]

Also, i have a couple of things done for the fanzine, i'll send you them over the weekend.

[Longfordian]

From what i was told on Wednesday by somebody at the top level of the club, there was little choice for the club but to get rid of Lawlor. It was a choice between having no players and sacking the manager. the players were going to walk and there was nothing the club could do because they hadn't signed new contracts. Matthews and Callaghan also felt that they couldn't work with Lawlor and he appointed them.

Lawlor was the reason forn the lack of signings by the club, even Digger told somebody that he knew of at least five players who wouldn't sign for the town as long as Lawlor was there. When the club went to collect registration forms on Wednesday, they found that most of the players hadn't signed new contracts despite what Lawlor was saying. He never kept them informed of what he was doing. The executive committee voted to sack him, it wasn't just Jim hanley's decision. As far as i can see, on that basis there was little option for the club..Matthews will be taking over and seemingly has five or six players he could sign "in the morning" who wouldn't sign for Lawlor..just thought i'd share what i knew..

[sorbothegreek]

Well if thats 100% then i retract what i said earlier, but shuely he had some part in signing players like Wittle and Dillan, and thats the sort of players we want at the club. I know that Ferguson and Sheridan were not signed through him but i still maintane that he could have done lots to take the club forward that the likes of Mathews? will strugle to do.
Dont get me wrong, I wish whoever takes over all the best, but i still think it was a harsh decision.

[Longfordian]

I heard those reasons from a very reliable source, suffice to say this person was involved in the decision to sack Lawlor. Even he said that Lawlor was a visionary but his man-managment was just very poor. He basically wasn't doing his job. at one stage he turned up to training fifteen minutes late without the footballs which he was supposed to bring. He also lied to or hadn't aclue what was going on with Stephen Kelly, matthews asked Lawlor where he was, lawlor told him he was training in Longford, Matthews rang whoever was taking training in Longford only to be told Kelly wasn't training with them at all. When Matthews asked Lawlor where he was, he said "Oh, he's on holidays.." which he wasn't, he then signed for Athlone because he'd heard nothing from the club!

Whatever it is about his personality the players just did not take to him. He had some great ideas for the development of the club but the bottom line is that without any players you're going to struggle to take the club onwards. Matthews and Callaghan are seemingly liked by the players and i mean players in general not just Town players, in a way that Lawlor just couldn't manage..

[Macy]

Yeah that's pretty much what I've been hearing......

Apparently on Tuesday evening we ONLY had 5 signed & received by the FAI, with the deadline being close of business wednesday. Forms received had to have Wednesdays post date or earlier. Matthews got the remaining players signed, and the forms sent off. For once it seems the FAI were efficient and processed our forms quickly otherwise we would not have had a team.

Also from a reliable source, Matthews and Callaghan were going to leave the club along with as many as 8 players (including some signed by Lawlor) were going to leave the club because of Lawlor.

Also heard some interesting info with regard to Sheridan...... I think we could've all been very harsh on him, and the fault for him training with Rovers could also be laid elsewhere.......

I've also heard some other stuff that I can't say, but they seem to back the committee's decision. All in all, it seems Lawlor had the vision, but simply wasn't competent enough in terms of management to carry it through......