Drogs to dump Cooke?

[oriel]

Ok Drogs fans, now that the season is over, can we have the full story or at least what you know on the real reasons why Cooke was not offered a deal.

Something very bizzare is going on, he claimed yesterday that no club official spoke to him in the 2 week period leading up to the Cup Final, thats just nuts if its true.

Is the fall out over his comments on the potential new ground? I have to say I think this is just madness letting a miracle worker like him go, and just who on earth does the board think will do better?

[White Horse]

The Board of Drogheda United will be moving swiftly over the coming days to appoint a new first team manager following the end of Mick Cooke’s three year tenure yesterday.

A number of very interesting applications have been received, including several from the UK, and the Board will be meeting with a selection of these as well as approaching others who have been identified as potential candidates over the coming days.

http://www.droghedaunited.ie/news/po...within-10-days

No reprieve for Mick Cooke.

[markc1184]

Ok Drogs fans, now that the season is over, can we have the full story or at least what you know on the real reasons why Cooke was not offered a deal.

Something very bizzare is going on, he claimed yesterday that no club official spoke to him in the 2 week period leading up to the Cup Final, thats just nuts if its true.

Is the fall out over his comments on the potential new ground? I have to say I think this is just madness letting a miracle worker like him go, and just who on earth does the board think will do better?

Not many seem to have the full story. Plenty of rumours depending on which side of the fence you fall. I know I'd like a full explanation of whats gone on. I don't agree with what has gone on, how Mick has been treated and how the whole situation has been handled. Mick didn't mince his words last night, saying he believes the club will move forward but only if the current board is moved on.

[nigel-harps1954]

Robbie Horgan to be unveiled as Droghedas new manager in the next week, apparently.

[Ezeikial]

Ok Drogs fans, now that the season is over, can we have the full story or at least what you know on the real reasons why Cooke was not offered a deal.

Mick Cooke claimed yesterday that Drogheda broke the original story to the media, which is contrary to the claims made here that it was Cooke who went to the media in the first place

MiniMourinho is the only Drogs fan here who claims to know anything - although his claims have been odd in the extreme.

[MiniMourinho]

Regardless of how odd my claims may seem, its common knowledge that the club didn't break the news. In fact they were the ones wanting Micks contract renewal to wait until the end of the season. They confirmed that they didn't break the story. However, once it broke and there was an avalanche of media requests, they made a tiny short statement confirming it. Which is what MNS ran with on that Monday night.

Valid questions were raised on the Drogs forum...Why wouldn't Mick wait until the end of the season to discuss his contract? Why would he want it to go public asap? The answer allegedly was to put pressure on the board because he was aware of the public outcry there would be. It is logical to expect a board of volunteers to quit in the face of public demand since it wouldn't be worth the hassle and persecution, right? If you read my last post a few pages back you'll see that he allegedly couldn't wait until the end of the season because his contract would expire leaving him powerless in the whole plan.

The sad thing is nobody genuinely thinks Mick is cunning enough to come up with the whole crazy takeover thing. But unfortunately he was allegedly naïve enough to get on board with those who were. A new stadium could make Drogheda United very attractive once more from a financial point of view. Promises of inflated budgets were allegedly made to him. Guilty by association? You cant have managers plotting to conspire in hostile takeover bids of a members owned club can you? All the cup finals in the world this season are not worth risking going back to 2007 and examinership for the Drogs surely.

Sounds like some crazy day-time soap-opera doesn't it? Now imagine the club publically stating all this. Can you imagine the legal implications of slander and defamation if they did? Perhaps the reason why despite the enormously negative and sometimes vile public reaction they have remained utterly quiet on legal advice?

The board (of people who are club members, supporters and volunteers) have been called some truly awful things since all this broke, but not once did the words, selfless, loyal and for the love of the club, ring out. Mick on the other hand has been lauded as honourable and followed like a Messiah because he gets results on the field. I remember how 2007 felt to nearly lose the club. Three cup finals and all the wins in the world in one year are not worth that.

Regardless, the game is up because Mick is now gone. The club will move on without him.

[Jofspring]

I presume the Drogheda players are all out of contract at the moment? Good chance for clubs to make moves for the likes of Ryan Brennan, Paul O'Connor and Derek Prendergast if the manager isn't sorted in the next week or so.

[Lim till i die]

Id say most of the squad will follow Mick Cooke to Athlone.

A lot of them are his players rather than Droghedas, followed him from Monaghan no reason they wont do the same.

[Charlie Darwin]

Valid questions were raised on the Drogs forum...Why wouldn't Mick wait until the end of the season to discuss his contract?

Is this a serious question? Would you wait until your work contract had expired and you were out of work before you decided to ask for a new one? Get real.

Look, I wouldn't be shocked if Cooke did instigate the publicising of the fact he had disagreements with the board over his contract status, but the fact is he is a working man and if his current club - at which he's far exceeded any reasonable targets - can't offer him stability then he is perfectly entitled to speak to other clubs and make his frustrations known. It's not as if he's being paid millions - there's a reason why half the managers in the LOI are still driving taxis and working in day jobs, and it's not out of an intense love for 80-hour work weeks.

[MiniMourinho]

Is this a serious question? Would you wait until your work contract had expired and you were out of work before you decided to ask for a new one? Get real.

Look, I wouldn't be shocked if Cooke did instigate the publicising of the fact he had disagreements with the board over his contract status, but the fact is he is a working man and if his current club - at which he's far exceeded any reasonable targets - can't offer him stability then he is perfectly entitled to speak to other clubs and make his frustrations known. It's not as if he's being paid millions - there's a reason why half the managers in the LOI are still driving taxis and working in day jobs, and it's not out of an intense love for 80-hour work weeks.

Whilst under contract with a club, i dont think it is acceptable for a manager to speak to other clubs without consent of his current club. Whatever his earnings are have no impact on that.

[Charlie Darwin]

Whilst under contract with a club, i dont think it is acceptable for a manager to speak to other clubs without consent of his current club. Whatever his earnings are have no impact on that.

You asked why he didn't wait until the end of the season to discuss his contract, not to discuss terms with other teams. Your suggestion that he wait until his previous contract has expired is ridiculous.

[oriel]

I agree, he was totally within his remit to ask the club where he stood mid season. Appreciate the response from MM, but it still appears Drogs have lost a great manager over an internal falling out over opinions, and if thats correct, it seems a really strange way to part company considering what he has achieved.

If a manager was rated over 2 seasons, Cooke would possibly have been the best performer in the league, especially with the moderate resources and facilities he had to operate with.

Besides, I can't think of who they have lined up who will return even part of what he has delivered.

[MiniMourinho]

No no no. Mick was offered a contract renewal for 2014 earlier this year and up until this kicked off hadnt signed it. When the above allegations came to light and the club realised his alleged involvement, the contract renewal that Mick had not signed was revoked. Nobody knows why Mick didnt sign a contract that he was supposedly happy with for over 4 months up to that point. If he wanted it so badly as he has portrayed since, why didnt he sign straight away?

With this in mind how could the board club allow him to sign a new contract there and then, knowing what was going on? I do know that when they revoked the contract renewal they expressely told Mick due to the current cup fixtures coming up that it could not be further discussed until the end of the season in an effort to deal with it in house. Mick allegedly decided to blow it completely wide open to the press in an effort to force the club into backing down or walking out.

And the media circus that has insued since has been driven by him and those other interested parties. Some of them being members of the local media themselves.

[White Horse]

It would appear from MM's comments that the issue resolves around a new stadium.

I am curious to understand how this would make the club more financially attractive. This stadium would cost money to build and would initially put the club under pressure to fund it. In addition, the FAI cup final proved that the club's appeal in very limited at the moment. 4,000 fans for a final in the Aviva is not a great indication of a large support base.

Are the directors in favour of the new stadium or was this an agenda being pursued by Cooke and the people behind the stadium proposal?

[MiniMourinho]

I believe that the board are pro the stadium but only on realistic expectations. Thats why they have dug their heels in against this other group. They have a track record of financial mismanagement.
They dont believe the stadium would be a cash cow like Mick and others may.

[White Horse]

I believe that the board are pro the stadium but only on realistic expectations. Thats why they have dug their heels in against this other group. They have a track record of financial mismanagement.
They dont believe the stadium would be a cash cow like Mick and others may.

It sounds like the direcors have more realistic expectations. A manager has to respect the strategic decisions made by the board.

[MiniMourinho]

Everyone wants a new stadium. Everyone believes it is the best hope at improving the club locally. Unfortunately some people dont believe in being prudent. The current board have shown that in the last three years they are nothing if not financially savy and prudent. The point is that in this case the manager, who was egged on by others, allegedly thought he could force the board out, allowing his buddies to come in and take over. An unacceptable scenario that seems to have lead to the removal of one of our most successful managers ever. Its a really sad ending. But im more comfortable with the thought of not challanging for cup finals next year than i am knowing people like him with personal agendas are gambling with the clubs future again.

Mick says he's been treated like a leper. Im my book he is far worse. I would be worried if any club considering hiring him only took his results into account and not the elephant in the room as to why a massively successful manager was let go. Then again, some people might not care.

[Mr A]

Alarm bells ring for me whenever a manager tries to meddle in board matters. Very dangerous ground. Funnily enough the consensus on the Harps forum was to give Hutton another chance until he mentioned changes needed at board level. Not the same of course but shows people are wary of that and rightly so in my opinion.

[MiniMourinho]

Alarm bells ring for me whenever a manager tries to meddle in board matters. Very dangerous ground. Funnily enough the consensus on the Harps forum was to give Hutton another chance until he mentioned changes needed at board level. Not the same of course but shows people are wary of that and rightly so in my opinion.

On Sunday night at the homecoming Mick Cooke stood up in front of the crowd on the stage and proclaimed that the only way the club could move forward is for the current board to resign. One last desperate attempt to stir it.

[Martinho II]

Mick Cooke has previous form for this. When he left Monaghan utd for Drogheda he left a lot of ****ed off monaghan utd fans behind. It didnt make sense at the time but after wots happened recently now it does! remember Magicme on about it before about Mick Cooke!