Lynch & Grimes join the Mons

Monaghan United’s Mick Cooke successfully swooped in for 2 of Dundalk’s key players from their promotion battle last season. In 2008 Aidan Lynch led his team to promotion as captain of John Gill’s team and young Shane Grimes bolstered Dundalk’s defence making them almost impenetrable in the games he was involved in.

Lynch started his career at UCD before moving to Drogheda United for a long tenure. When Drogheda turned full time professional, Lynch, unwilling to give up his teaching job, moved back to UCD and then to the now defunct Dublin City before going on to Dundalk. He has won promotion with Drogheda United, Dublin City and most recently with Dundalk and his signing signals Cooke’s intention to push Monaghan even closer to that prize in 2009.

Lynch was part of the Irish team that played in the World Youth Championship with Damien Duff and has great experience of playing at the top level in this Country. His move to Monaghan will give Mick many great options in defence as will the signing of Grimes.

Twenty-one year old Grimes has played all his career at Dundalk having come up through their youth academy. During his time he has been consistently kept at the club by managers Jim Gannon, John Gill and was one of only 4 players that new boss Sean Connor had decided to keep for the Premier campaign. Cooke luring him to Kingspan Century Park is another magnificent signing for the up and coming Monaghan club and will have a familiar feel for Grimes as he made his senior debut for Dundalk at KCP against Galway United during Dundalk’s tenancy at the Newbliss Road venue.

MANAGERS QUOTES:
“I am delighted to have signed 2 more quality players for the upcoming season. In Aidan Lynch and Shane Grimes we have added great depth to the squad.”

“Monaghan United have been progressively improving over the last few years and I feel that Lynch, Grimes and my other signings will help take this a step further in 2009”

I must say without knowing a whole lot about yere club, ye are an example to all provincial clubs in Ireland. Yeve shown great faith in Mick Cooke over the past few years and despite not getting the attendances ye deserve, ye have made steady progress since Mick Cooke has taken charge. Ye have invested in yere ground and infrastructure, and slowly but surely ye are making improvements.
I will be hoping that ye take the First Division by storm and challenge the so-called favourites. Good look Lads

Thank you GUFC, that means alot.

We really need to push for attendances this season and I am determined that Monaghan will finally have some support.

We are putting together a tidy squad and you would be hard pressed to find a more committed manager than Mick Cooke. He has such loyalty to the club and works so hard for us. Without him we wouldnt be able to get half the players we do on our budget.

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Originally Posted by Magicme

Thank you GUFC, that means alot.

We really need to push for attendances this season and I am determined that Monaghan will finally have some support.

We are putting together a tidy squad and you would be hard pressed to find a more committed manager than Mick Cooke. He has such loyalty to the club and works so hard for us. Without him we wouldnt be able to get half the players we do on our budget.

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I have always looked out for yere results over the past 2/3 years, and its obvious ye loyal Mons fans are committed. People talk about how the Mons are of no value to the league but i beg to differ. If ye can keep up what ye have been doing than I hope ye Mons get what ye deserve, silverware. I'm not messing I seriously hope ye can Finish top 4 this season because i believe ye have great potential

Again thank you. Its refreshing not to have someone bashing us!

Our forum says that Grimes has only gone to Monaghan on a loan deal. Dundalk have the option of recalling him in six months, according to Sean Connor at tonight's fans forum.

I dont know anything on that. Mick Cooke rang me last night to tell me they had signed for us but couldnt really talk to him as my coverage wasnt great. Will try find out more tomorrow and let you know.

Cheers. Bit unclear on our forum. Sounds like a loan deal.

Here's the post:

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Connor revealed tonight that it was his decison to send Grimes to Monaghan, He spoke to monaghan about takign Grimes for 6months and then spoke to the player, Seem very professional saying he had to make the decision for the player as this stage in his career he needs to be playing games and thats what he agreed he will get with monaghan with the view of coming back in 6months if he can cope with the training routine (which he failed to do in Pre-Season and feel behind)

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Yeah saw that alright.

Checked it out and as Grimes is an amateur he is not on loan. As far as I can gather there isnt a gentleman's agreement to give him back if Dundalk require him at transfer window either which can sometimes occur (eg Haran)

Thanks. So he's Monaghan's player for the whole season and they can do with him what they want until November?

Connor said Dundalk can review the situation in the July window and recall him if they want!

As far as I am told that is the situation alright.

They can ask for him back I suppose but if he is signed with us he is ours to do with what we like, bar making him my slave I suppose.

Monaghan seem to be putting together a good team. Can't wait for the season to start, its going to be so competitive, no one could call how it is going to end, barr maybe fingal winning it, after that 2nd and 3rd are up for grabs between about 5 or 6 teams.

Thanks Magicme. I'm sure Shane would love to be your slave ;)

Good signings by all accounts then. 'We'll' be pushing 'us' for third I'd say - depending on who ends up getting 1st Div. Licenses. ;)

RE: Attendances. I've been trying to convince the brother to bring the kids down of a Friday night but there's no interest, but maybe this coaching on the astro-turf business will do the job. Great idea. :)

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Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

Thanks Magicme. I'm sure Shane would love to be your slave ;)

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Jaysus! I meant like in the packing goody bags for schools kinda way btw!

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Originally Posted by GenerationXI

Good signings by all accounts then. 'We'll' be pushing 'us' for third I'd say - depending on who ends up getting 1st Div. Licenses.

RE: Attendances. I've been trying to convince the brother to bring the kids down of a Friday night but there's no interest, but maybe this coaching on the astro-turf business will do the job. Great idea. :)

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Give me his number now. I will convince him!! :D

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Originally Posted by Magicme

Jaysus! I meant like in the packing goody bags for schools kinda way btw!

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I'm sure you did. ;)

Direct quotes from Sean Connor below. Looks like you'll only have him til July. Better make of the most of it Magicme ;)

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Shane was one of the players I decided to keep when I arrived but unfortunately with the way our training schedule is now he struggled to commit to that. We're training twice a day now and he was only able to train once in the last ten days so he was falling behind the rest of the squad very quickly. I spoke to Monaghan about him and they wanted to take him on a six month contract and they were guaranteeing him first team football so I just felt it was better for him at this stage to be playing football but we'll bring him back to the club in July and review the situation then."

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Monaghan taking an unfit player on loan for another club, couldn't possibly be true!

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Originally Posted by atfconline

Monaghan taking an unfit player on loan for another club, couldn't possibly be true!

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Its not. He is not on loan. :D

I had a direct quote from our manager too The Lilywhites!