JIM McLAUGHLIN has relinquished the managerial reins at Drogheda United by mutual consent. This followed a meeting with the club chairman, Vincent Hoey, last night in the wake of their third relegation this decade.
In a brief statement the club expressed "their sincere gratitude to Jim for his untiring efforts on behalf of the club during his time as manager. A process has now been initiated to appoint a new manager."
Afflicted by ill health during the season, it would constitute a sad end to McLaughlin's managerial career unequalled in the recent history of the domestic game.
He guided three different clubs to eight league titles, Dundalk (1976, 1979, 1982), Shamrock Rovers (1984-87), and Derry City (1989) as well as a total of seven FAI Cups while he was also part of the Shelbourne managerial teams that won the league (1992) and Cup (1993).
Drogheda's directors will meet next week to outline a timetable and process of selecting a new manager. They will advertise in England and Ireland with a view to appointing a full time, locally based manager who might also be a player. Candidates being mentioned already include Mick Neville, Bobby Browne and Martin Lawlor.
Meanwhile, there was no confirmation that the proposed meeting between a National League delegation and Derry City took place yesterday regarding the interpretation of the Bosman ruling.
Nevertheless, the Derry manager Felix Healy made it abundantly clear that the club would not be acceding to any request that they pay National League clubs for signing out of contract players.
"We have been studying the implications of the Bosman ruling for the last four months at EC level, through John Hume's office here in Derry, with UEFA and with our solicitors. As far as they are concerned we are British.
"It is not an ideal situation but that is the reality. We don't make European law but we have to abide by it. As a result, our players who are out of contract are free to travel to any other League of Ireland club without any recompense to us, and vice versa.
"However, we cannot sign players from the Irish League, such as Pat Fenlon (Linfield), without paying a transfer fee because Linfield fall under the same jurisdiction. Any other League of Ireland club can sign him without a transfer fee involved.
"It would suit us just as much to sign players from the North but given we have to pay them a transfer fee even if they are out of contract, why should we feel obliged to pay League of Ireland clubs a fee as well for their players who are out of contract when legally we don't have to?
Healy predicts an "avalanche" of cross Border transfer activity during the summer. Indeed, aside from the Derry bound Gavin Dykes, it is believed that Sligo are set to lose Brendan Aspinal and Andy Ramage to the Irish League, possibly Glentorn, and, the Dublin bound Robert Brunton. Steve Berks and Mark McLean have been released while Davey Reid is heading back to Scotland.
However, manager Steve Cotterill hasn't given up hope of resigning Reid, and has re-signed his attacking quartet of Johnny Kenny, James Mulligan, Ian Gilzean and Padraig Moran, though there is no certainty that Cotterill himself will be staying.
. The 16 man FAI National League squad for the three match tour of America later this month was announced yesterday.
The squad will depart for America on Tuesday June 21st and return on Sunday June 2nd. They will have two preparatory games, against Everton at Dalymount Park on May 10th in Terry Eviston's testimonial and "against a Republic of Ireland selection at Richmond Park on May 13th.
. The following players have incurred suspensions to take effect at the start of next season Richie Purdy (Dundalk) three games Michael Devine (Cobh), Robert Brunton, Steve Berks (both Sligo), Sean Egan (Longford Town), Shane Boylan (Drogheda) and James Callaghan (St James's Gate) one game each, Francis Butler (DCU) two games.
