Sligos New Manager - Kevin Walsh - O Hara hails "Dream Team"

SLIGONIAN · November 04, 2008, 09:26:17 PM

FROM SLIGOGAA.ie A JOKE

Sligo County Board have ratified Kevin Walsh (Galway) as their new Senior Football Manager with Fergal O' Flaherty ratified as U 21 Team Manager for his second term.

Galway's Kevin Walsh was put forward by a selection Committee (John Murphy, Joe Taaffe, Seamus Cronin, and Dessie Sloyan) to the executive, who then nominated him at the County Board Meeting. He was unanimously accepted.

Kevin, who had an outstanding career at midfield for Galway winning two senior All-Irelands and one minor medal (1986) is new to the Senior County Management scene. He brings vast experience of competing and winning at the highest level.

This also sees Sligo County Board following a recent trend of appointing young dynamic people to manage the county team.

Kevin has outlined his selectors to the County Board and they will be:- Paul Taylor, Paul Durcan, and Dessie Sloyan. Three outstanding performers for Sligo over the last two decades and they in turn will bring great enthusiasm to the job. Their involvement will inspire all young emerging talent and established players to unite and re assert Sligo's position in Connacht Football.

Sligo begin the playing season with the FBD League early in January and commence the league campaign with a home fixture against Kilkenny.

The County Board now urge all clubs to support this new, exciting and young management team.

Fergal O' Flaherty was reappointed U-21 Manager for 2009. After a decent showing in charge last year the selection panel felt he should continue for a second term and the County Board ratified this appointment.

Dessie Sloyan will act as one of his selectors and he will complete his back up team over the next week.

Dessie will be the link between the Senior and U-21 Panels.

The County Board are excited by both appointments and are looking forward to competitions in 2009

Armamike · November 04, 2008, 09:45:05 PM

This is a 1980s county board mentality - appoint a fella who was a top player. He was a great midfielder after all. Is there no one in Sligo with a bit of management pedigree?

SLIGONIAN · November 04, 2008, 09:59:41 PM

There are a number of issues i want to raise,

Firstly to my knowledge walsh only managed a junior team in Galway to date and didnt go well, (correct me if im wrong) and he also got turned down for the galway minor job... so in the interview process when he was asked WHAT EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU MANAGING? i would of said nice meeting you there and then and said good bye after his answer.

He is not good enough for galway minors but he is good enough for sligo seniors.

Its a farce. Another thing that pisses me off and shows a massive lack of competency is a member of the selection commitee IE dessie Sloyan is one of walshs selectors. How fair is that on other candidates who maybe wanted there own men? It looks like an inside job.

There is the sweetener for Sligo fans in Sloyan, Taylor and durks being selectors but that could backfire aswell, they have friends and favourites on the panel, all the older lads who were a disgrace last yr will be back now and we'll never get rid of some of them wasters. Its akin to in Clare when they made daly manager and he was loyal to the lads who did it 98 but all the younger lads fell away and in 2004 when they had no memeber of the clare minor all ireland winninf team of 98 on the panel, all who would of been 24 at that stage.

For me not all of this meets the eye. The COUNTY BOARD havnt learned yet that we need an experienced manager or at least the most expereinced and innovative we can get. Jordan didnt work for that reason now walsh is even less qualified.

For me i have NO CONFIDENCE IN Murphy as chairman, he is a man who clearly doenst have sligo gaas best interests at heart. I hope he got rid sooner rather than later for the good of Sligo gaa.

I am raging.

BUT theres not much i can do but whinge on here and accept it and wish the new management team well. But for me IMHO we are totally f*cked now.

SLIGONIAN · November 04, 2008, 10:03:17 PM

Quote from: Armamike on November 04, 2008, 09:45:05 PM
This is a 1980s county board mentality - appoint a fella who was a top player. He was a great midfielder after all. Is there no one in Sligo with a bit of management pedigree?

There are plenty within and outside the county with more pedigree than walsh, and who went for the job, sure my granny nearly has more management experience than walsh

, and all she manages is the over 75s

.

MaroonAndWhite · November 04, 2008, 10:16:23 PM

All the best big Kev...gentleman and a scholar but this is a big leap. Will make for an interesting Connacht semi-final......

At least give him the league before ya hang him out to dry Sligonian....innocent until proven guilty and all that

Owenmoresider · November 04, 2008, 10:38:14 PM

Wasn't the expected choice, and something of a gamble to say the least, inexperienced in terms of management. The selectors are something of concern, given that all have been recent players and would be close to a good deal of the older players. Anyway we surely can't go much lower, so we'll see how it pans out. Good luck to them, they will need it.

SLIGONIAN · November 04, 2008, 10:40:02 PM

Quote from: MaroonAndWhite on November 04, 2008, 10:16:23 PM
All the best big Kev...gentleman and a scholar but this is a big leap. Will make for an interesting Connacht semi-final......

At least give him the league before ya hang him out to dry Sligonian....innocent until proven guilty and all that

How a man who managed aran islands junior team and u14 girls team and gets turned down for galway minors get my COUNTYs senior job absolute disgusts me. How this was ratified without question of his managerial experience is a farce. It tells me in one clean sweep why my county has won so little, we have clowns running the show.

This man shouldnt get near the job with that CV.

Its just a disaster. Whatever we do in the league will more down to the selectors who will have way more knowledge than walsh so wholl be running the show is anyones guess.

GalwayBayBoy · November 04, 2008, 11:02:26 PM

Walsh has done quite well with Oilean Arainn. Narrowly lost the junior west board final to An Spideal but they still have a chance to go intermediate through the league. Even when he was playing he made it known he was interested in management. Granted he has very little top level experience so I can only presume he interviewed very well. Or he's cheap.

Going to Sligo will be like an extended interview for the Galway job in a few years.

SLIGONIAN · November 04, 2008, 11:08:18 PM

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on November 04, 2008, 11:02:26 PM
Walsh has done quite well with Oilean Arainn. Narrowly lost the junior west board final to An Spideal but they still have a chance to go intermediate through the league. Even when he was playing he made it known he was interested in management. Granted he has very little top level experience so I can only presume he interviewed very well. Or he's cheap.

Going to Sligo will be like an extended interview for the Galway job in a few years.

Hes cheap surely

, sure you said it, he doesnt give a f*ck about Sligo, just a stepping stone nothing new there, pisses me off and makes me not like him but i hope he does well.

He must of interviewed well, how the f*ck did he get past the experience question

?

Owenmoresider · November 04, 2008, 11:25:34 PM

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on November 04, 2008, 11:02:26 PM
Going to Sligo will be like an extended interview for the Galway job in a few years.

Like Peter Ford. You want that again, yes?

magpie seanie · November 04, 2008, 11:27:09 PM

I wish Kevin Walsh and his selectors all the luck in the world. They have a difficult task. Lets give them a chance to do the business.

GalwayBayBoy · November 04, 2008, 11:30:51 PM

Quote from: Owenmoresider on November 04, 2008, 11:25:34 PM
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on November 04, 2008, 11:02:26 PM
Going to Sligo will be like an extended interview for the Galway job in a few years.
Like Peter Ford. You want that again, yes?

If he does well I'd have no problem with him getting the job in the future.

Ford looked like a decent appointment on the surface but his style of football was not suited to Galway's traditional style. Maybe this should have been spotted beforehand but sometimes these things only become apparent when someone actually takes charge.

MaroonAndWhite · November 04, 2008, 11:42:33 PM

No doubt the timing is ideal for Walsh....after Sligo's 2008 Connacht Championship the only way is up really.

But on the positive side, he is in place in good time, has a chance to do his homework on the club scene and put in a good tough pre-season. He has three knowledgable selectors too. Good experienced managers are not ten-a-penny at he minute so give him a chance before hanging him. I dont know how you it can be said he doesnt give a f**k for Sligo.....it won't be a stepping stone to anywhere if he doesnt do a good job for ye now will it?

moysider · November 04, 2008, 11:54:53 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on November 04, 2008, 11:08:18 PM
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on November 04, 2008, 11:02:26 PM
Walsh has done quite well with Oilean Arainn. Narrowly lost the junior west board final to An Spideal but they still have a chance to go intermediate through the league. Even when he was playing he made it known he was interested in management. Granted he has very little top level experience so I can only presume he interviewed very well. Or he's cheap.

Going to Sligo will be like an extended interview for the Galway job in a few years.

Hes cheap surely , sure you said it, he doesnt give a f*ck about Sligo, just a stepping stone nothing new there, pisses me off and makes me not like him but i hope he does well.

He must of interviewed well, how the f*ck did he get past the experience question ?

How many fellas were available for the job with experience? Who within and outside the county had more pedigree? Would you have preferred an experienced man like Maughan, who s experience is not all good at this stage? All managers start out without much of a cv. Experience is only one box to tick. At least he s not carrying any baggage and has always been a level headed type.

SLIGONIAN · November 05, 2008, 12:00:10 AM

Quote from: MaroonAndWhite on November 04, 2008, 11:42:33 PM
No doubt the timing is ideal for Walsh....after Sligo's 2008 Connacht Championship the only way is up really.

But on the positive side, he is in place in good time, has a chance to do his homework on the club scene and put in a good tough pre-season. He has three knowledgable selectors too. Good experienced managers are not ten-a-penny at he minute so give him a chance before hanging him. I dont know how you it can be said he doesnt give a f**k for Sligo.....it won't be a stepping stone to anywhere if he doesnt do a good job for ye now will it?

He be wanting to do well for himself more than Sligo, personal satisfaction, if he does well and Galway come calling will he stay?

homework on what club scene? Eastern harps... no county get togethers until january aswell which means less pre season than usual. Has he got any coaching qualifications?

Its a disgrace he got the job end of story. He should never of got near it... I think its going to be a disaster worst than jordan.