Donegals next manager?

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

What about Paddy Tally?

[Donegal Danny]

Not sure about Paddy Tally although Sherdian and Tally are friendly from their time in the "Ranch". Tally is a full time lecturer in the Ranch and will be taking them for the Mc Kenna Cup and Sigerson so to work in belfast all day and then travel to Donegal and back to Tyrone again i think this might prove too much but Tally might give Sherdian a hand or take the odd session.Anyway i think it's a good move and done quickly which is good when you look at Sligo and Meath and see that hey still haven't got a new manager.

[snappiered]

This has all turned out to be messy. How has this been let happen.

[orangeman]

Mulgrew, Bonner ticket in doubt  

Charlie Mulgrew (l) and Declan Bonner were not first choice
The proposed new Donegal management team of Charlie Mulgrew and Declan Bonner may may not assume their new roles.

The pair are due to be ratified as successors to Brian McIver at this Wednesday county board meeting.

But sources say that they could withdraw their names when it emerged that the duo were not the first candidates to be offered the position.

It is believed John Joe Doherty had previously been offered the post.

County chairman Sean Kelly said that Doherty was the first choice to become the new manager, but refused to comment on why the offer was withdrawn. He said he would explain at Wednesday's board meeting.

It is believed that the offer to Doherty was made last Wednesday, but the Glencolmcille man had a number of issues with the post.

The position was then offered to Mulgrew and Bonner who accepted the job on a joint ticket and they are due to be ratified as the new management team at Wednesday's meeting.

[Doogie Browser]

John Joe confirmed as manager, Karl Lacey quits the panel.  Another interesting year in store for Donegal then, makes the Derry County board look sensible.

[ziggysego]

That's some achievement Doogie

[orangeman]

John Joe confirmed as manager, Karl Lacey quits the panel.  Another interesting year in store for Donegal then, makes the Derry County board look sensible.

Big statement.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

BBC news report


Doherty selected in Donegal drama 

John Joe Doherty is set to become Donegal's new manager
John Joe Doherty is the new Donegal boss after a dramatic selection meeting in Ballybofey on Wednesday night.

It was expected that Charlie Mulgrew and Declan Bonner would be confirmed as joint managers after first-choice Doherty turned down the post.

But Doherty appeared at the meeting and after an impassioned speech the Donegal delegates offered him the job again.

Karl Lacey, who has criticised the county board, has quit the county panel and is going to Australia for a year.

The player has slammed the board's handling of team and management affairs.

Doherty, who played in Donegal's All-Ireland winning team of 1992, will meet county officials later this week to discuss personal terms.

County chairman Sean Kelly said earlier this week that the Glencolmcille man was the first choice to succeed Brian McIver, but refused to comment on why the offer was withdrawn.

The job was then offered to Mulgrew and Bonner, who accepted it on a joint ticket.

[Orior]

If he can motivate the board like that then he should be able to do wonders with the players as well.

[Yes I Would]

  Jaysus you couldnt make this up.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Added two extra options too the poll for those who haven't voted yet!!!!!!!

[Bensars]

I would expect to see  the "Donegal County Board are making a laughing stock of themselves and the rest of the county!" option close the deficit in the voting quite quickly.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

I would expect to see  the "Donegal County Board are making a laughing stock of themselves and the rest of the county!" option close the deficit in the voting quite quickly.

Would agree with you Bensars, IMO the whole situation is a f**king disgrace, something as high profile as selecting a manager should at the least be carried out with some sort of decorum and not in the slap-dash way the last two selection processes have been conducted! 


Well maybe we'll get Paddy Tally as trainer now.

[aodhruadh]

theres no c**k up like an FAI c**k up, unless its a donegal gaa c**k up

shame on the county board.

[J70]

From the Democrat...

Lacey lashes out

Published Date:
23 October 2008
By Tom Comack

As controversy rages over the appointment of the new senior football management team former All-Star and outgoing Donegal vice-captain Karl Lacey has branded the way Donegal footballers are treated as nothing short of a 'disgrace'.
He says that Donegal are miles behind other counties when it comes to team preparation and how players are treated.

He has also hit out at the way Brian McIver was treated and the way the new management was appointed and the whole controversy that has erupted in recent days.

Lacey, who recently completed a Masters Degree in Marketing at the University of Jordanstown, is next month heading to New Zealand for a at least six months.

He has played football at the highest level with Donegal, Ireland, Ulster, Sligo I.T. and UUJ and has experienced the game at all levels.

He was honoured with an All-Star Award in 2006 and is recognised as one of the finest defenders in the modern game, not only in Donegal and Ulster, but at National level.

After playing the game at a high level for the past five years he admits that he feels like a break for a game right now, but he also goes on to say that the way things are going in the county and they way players are treated has made the decision easier.

"I wish I could say it was hard to walk away from the football, but it was totally the opposite. I had my decision made before I even talked to any of my team mates. As previously mentioned I have been involved in a number of teams, and the way our players are treated in this county is a disgrace," said Karl.

"Being involved in these different teams, you realise the difference and notice how players should be treated and how well other counties look after their players and I'm not just talking about the bigger teams like Tyrone and Kerry. I'm talking about the smaller counties as well.

"Donegal GAA is miles behind everyone else, even what I was involved with this year with Jordanstown. There was 40 players involved in our panel, and each and every one were looked after exceptionally well, getting the best of gear, training facilities, buses, hotels and anything they could help you with they would always make sure to do their best, it was like a professional outfit.

"In this day and age I think that is very important for any team, and unfortunately we don't have that in Donegal. For example, this year's preparation for the championship involved a weekend's training (Saturday/Sunday) in Letterkenny, staying one night in the Milford Inn that doesn't even have a swimming pool to do a recovery session for training the next day.

"No disrespect to the Milford Inn, but it's not a place to go to prepare your team for a championship opener against Derry. It's a far cry from La Manga where a lot of teams go now for one week's training before championship.

I know we had a week's holiday in the Canaries in January but that was because we won the National League the year before. We could have at least got a weekend down the country away from everything in a good hotel with good facilities for training. There are plenty of them around."

Karl goes on to say that talking to players from other counties they can't believe how shabbily Donegal footballers are treated.

"These boys are getting bags of gear before a National League campaign, we are very lucky to get a t-shirt and that's the God's honest truth.

"The hottest day of the year when we played Monaghan this year in the qualifiers we got handed a pair of gloves on our way to the dressing room; it's a joke."

He also expressed his unhappiness at the way Brian McIver was treated and how the whole affair was handled including finding of a replacement for the Tyrone man.

"All the players had a meeting about Brian McIver and everyone felt that he was the right man to bring us success. A couple of weeks later, he's taken away from us in a way you wouldn't treat a dog.

"And then when it came to finding a new manager they could not even get that right. These people that were involved in this really don't have a clue what's going on behind the scenes and we as players find that frustrating," he said.

Karl insists he sees it as an honour to play for Donegal and will always gladly play for the county but concludes by saying that if Donegal want success there are a lot of things that need to be sorted out.

Meanwhile, Lacey's departure early next month to New Zealand and Australia for at least six months is a big blow to the new Donegal management team. He will miss the entire Dr. McKenna Cup and National League campaign but may be back for the championship. He plans to return in May, but he even admits that is fluid at the moment and he may even stay longer Down Under.