Mullins ponders future with Dublin

Brian Mullins will decide over the coming week whether to accept the position of Dublin senior football manager. Last night's meeting of the Dublin county board had hoped to make an announcement but that has been deferred until next week.

A terse statement on behalf of the board was issued by Dublin chief executive John Costello: "The preferred candidate has been offered the position and will communicate his final decision to the County Committee next week."

Mullins, 49 this year, was the favoured candidate and the only one interviewed for the vacancy created by Tommy Lyons's stepping down after three years in charge. There is as yet no indication of the identity of any potential selectors.

Given this unanimity the length of time taken over the appointment has been surprising but not unprecedented in the county in the years since Kevin Heffernan left the manager's post in 1985.

That was the last time Mullins was involved with the county team management. Along with former Dublin players Robbie Kelleher and Seán Doherty, he formed a triumvirate that led Dublin for a year. But after losing the Leinster final to Meath's first title win in 16 years the management team stepped down.

They were replaced by Gerry McCaul, who had enjoyed club success with Ballymun Kickhams. His tenure lasted four years and had the misfortune to be up against Seán Boylan's exceptional Meath team throughout that period.

Dublin did defeat their neighbours in 1989 but lost the All-Ireland semi-final to Cork. After losing a year later, again to Meath, McCaul stepped down.

There was a familiar, long pause before his successor was named even though McCaul had made it clear that 1990 would be his last season. Eventually, Paddy Cullen was appointed together with two other graduates from the 1970s, Pat O'Neill and Jim Brogan.

Cullen's tenure was an eventful one. In the first year he was in charge as Dublin played Meath four times in the Leinster championship before losing by a point. A year later the county regained the Leinster championship but lost the All-Ireland final to Donegal.

There was a falling out between Cullen and his selectors and after a break in the US, the manager returned home to hand in his notice. This was followed by a familiar phase of foot dragging during which O'Neill announced he was withdrawing his name from consideration.

This spurred the board into action and O'Neill was persuaded to take the position. He, together with Brogan, Bobby Doyle and Fran Ryder, became the last Dublin management team to win the All-Ireland. In the aftermath and partly motivated by a perceived lack of enthusiasm from the board, O'Neill decided to step down while at the top.

His successor Mickey Whelan was a surprise choice given that Tommy Lyons believed he had been offered the job after leading Kilmacud Crokes to the All-Ireland club title. After two disappointing seasons Whelan quit - again unexpectedly - after a League defeat by Offaly in November 1997.

Tom Carr was another surprising appointment and his four-year term of office ended without silverware and in controversy, with county chair John Bailey first backing the manager for an extension to his tenure and then voting against him in the decisive meeting.

Lyons finally took the post in 2001 and chose a strong selection committee.

His first year saw the Leinster title regained for the first time in seven years but the next two years were disappointing.

Next week Dublin will hope to appoint a 10th manager since Heffernan but the selection process shows no signs of any

significant

evolution.