Fran Ryder is not a candidate for the job as manager of the Dublin team following the resignation of Mickey Whelan. "I have not been approached about the matter and I have no intention of allowing my name to go forward," he told The Irish Times yesterday.

He did not, however, rule out the possibility that he and others who had played a significant part in the recent Dublin past, might consider their position at some time in the future with the Dublin minor or under-21 teams and, subsequently with the senior team, during a four or five-year time scale.

Ryder was part of a closely-knit management team which featured Pat O'Neill, Jim Brogan, Bobby Doyle between 1990 and 1995. All four had been part of the Dublin team of the 1970s when Dublin won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977.

They were then the mentors for the Dublin side which featured in the historical four-matches in the Leinster championship tie between Meath and Dublin in 1991. They were in charge of the team when beaten by Donegal in the All Ireland final of 1992, and by Donegal in the 1994 final before winning the final against Tyrone in 1995.

During their period in office Dublin won National League titles in 1991 and 1993.

Ryder was on holiday in Lanzarote and returned to Dublin last Monday when he was surprised that his name had been mentioned prominently as a possible successor to Whelan. "The first I heard of Mickey's resignation was when I phoned Pat O'Neill on the Sunday evening after the Parnell Park match to find that Dublin had lost and Mickey Whelan had resigned.

"Nobody either before or since has been in touch with me about the matter and my personal situation at the moment is that I simply could not afford the time or all the hard work which would be involved," he said.

Ryder runs one of Dublin's best-known pubs, Cassidy's in Camden Street and is involved with Peter Hanahoe in the ownership of The Mercantile Bar Hotel and restaurant in Dame Street.

"When I was involved with Dublin before it needed a commitment of about 25 to 30 hours a week and I simply couldn't afford that at the moment. I believe that there is huge potential in Dublin football. I believe that if a programme of elite squads of players from 14 years upwards could be put into place it would produce the kind of results which Dublin needs. "There are several good coaching schemes in place but there is no point in coaching players who are not interesting. Elite squads should be set up with a view to building for the future. That would need a lot of time to set up and administer and I may have time in the future to become actively involved but not at the moment," he says. He was highly critical of the verbal abuse hurled at Whelan after the National League defeat by Offaly in Parnell Park two weeks ago. "These people don't even begin to understand how much somebody like Mickey Whelan has given to the game. He worked very hard against the odds and for no reward. The abuse he got was totally unfair and I strongly condemn it," he said.

Ryder was careful to make it clear that he was speaking to The Irish Times entirely on his own behalf. "I believe that when Pat (O'Neill), Jim (Brogan), Bobby (Doyle) and myself were together we did a lot of good work for Dublin. The time may come when we might get back together because we worked very well together as a team and we could do it again if our business and family commitments allow. I would certainly not rule out the possibility of becoming involved within the next four or five years with, say minor or under-21 teams, eventually leading to involvement with the senior team again," he said.

Asked about who he would support to take over from Whelan he was reluctant to give his support to any of the candidates who have already declared an interest but he admitted that he had great admiration for John O'Leary.

"He was a great player and a great servant of Dublin football. He might have some difficulty dealing with players with whom he played but whoever gets the job will have to get the full support of everybody, particularly the county board," he said.