Dolan to decide on move to Cork today

[patsh]

from the Irish Times
By Paul Buttner



NEWS: Pat Dolan will make it known later today whether he is to become Cork City's new manager.

The current St Patrick's Athletic chief executive and team manager remains the hot favourite to be unveiled as Liam Murphy's successor at a noon press conference in Cork tomorrow, despite the 34-year-old apparently having had second thoughts on ending his 15-year association with St Patrick's Athletic, the club he has spent much of his time rebranding into one of domestic football's most dynamic.

Speculation has mounted all week linking Dolan with the vacant manager's post at Turner's Cross following previous incumbent Murphy's resignation on the last day of the season, January 26th.

Dolan is believed to have met Cork City chairman Brian Lennox initially three weeks ago and again last weekend.

Dolan's future at St Patrick's has been the subject of speculation for some time following a year of trauma brought about by last season's registration wrangles which ultimately cost St Patrick's the 2001/02 league championship. Last season the team failed to mount a challenge in the league and finished a very disappointing seventh, with sections of the club's support demanding Dolan's resignation.

Though he does appear to have been offered the Cork City job, further spice was added to the speculation after Dolan had a lengthy meeting with the St Patrick's board on Tuesday night at which it is believed he outlined his commitment to stay at Richmond Park, with the carrot of an investment of €500,000 in the club from builder Mick Wallace allegedly part of the deal.

St Patrick's say they have offered Dolan a new deal.

"We want Pat Dolan to stay at St Patrick's Athletic," said club chairman Andy O'Callaghan. "We held a long meeting with Pat on Tuesday night when we made him an offer. Pat asked to be given time to consider that offer and we agreed to that and expect an answer tomorrow (today). We are aware that Pat has had an offer from Cork City."

Dolan, who initially joined the club as a player in 1988, had brief spells at Galway United and Shamrock Rovers before being re-signed by Brian Kerr in 1991. He got involved in marketing the club while still playing and soon rose to become its chief executive.

Dolan became team manager following Kerr's resignation to become Irish youth team manager in December 1996. He won the league in his first full season in charge, 1997/98.

Dolan's chief rival for the Cork vacancy was believed to be current Sligo Rovers manager Don O'Riordan, who had emerged as the initial favourite.

O'Riordan remains under contract at the Showground, but a compensation deal is not believed to be the reason Lennox cooled on the former Galway United manager.

One-time Cork manager Damien Richardson was also a candidate for the job, though he didn't apply for it.

[patsh]

If Dolan does decide to honour us with his presence, I'll get behind him (so nobody will be able to see me !) and give him the time to get things done at the club.

However, I'm p*ssed off with him for all this carry-on.
It looks like we are only his second choice and that he will only come to us if he does not get what he wants at Pats.

Lennox should never have let CCFC get into this situation

He has interviewed 2 people in the UK and quite a few people here plus Rico, and it's safe to assume all these people wanted the job. Why he allowed Dolan to get the upper hand really annoys me.
CCFC is more important than any manager and bigger, literally, than Dolan.
It shouldn be up to CCFC to pick and choose, not the other way around.

[dalo]

Originally posted by oddboy
If Dolan does decide to honour us with his presence, I'll get behind him (so nobody will be able to see me !) and give him the time to get things done at the club.

.

don't you know you are not allowed to make smart comments about dolans ample size. verdi might get u

I reckon dolan will do about turn and stick with st pat's. it is a excellant offer.

he is the right man for the city job, his pedigree outweighs (there I go again, sorry verdi ) ricos.

[Dodge]

When Dolan goes to Cork it'll look like he chose you offer Pats he'll say "it was a terribky hard decision but in the end I wanted a new challenge"

Pats will say "dolan's great but we wish him all the best"

Cork will say 2luring Dolan shows how serious we are"

Cork get their man, Pats get rid of him, he gets not to be sacked
Everyone's a winner