Winner all right as Mulholland set to land football job

Dara Bradley

Alan Mulholland now looks certain to become the first Galway native since Liam Sammon’s reign which ended in 2009 – and only the second Galway native in well over a decade – to manage the Galway senior football squad.

The Salthill bookmaker has a ‘free run’ to land the position, after the withdrawal of the three other contenders, including former Galway minor manager Gerry Fahy, who formally bowed out of the race on Monday night.

Mulholland is the only man, of the four who were nominated, to formally confirm to the Football Board his interest in the taking over the position – Sligo manager Kevin Walsh pulled out of the race after committing to the Yeats County; and Billy Joyce has also withdrawn his name.

Last week a selection committee was put together and includes, Football Board Chairman, John Joe Holleran, Football Board Secretary, Seamus O’Grady, former Galway senior football manager, Liam Sammon, and two delegates Gearóid Denver (Micheál Breathnach) and Gerry Hussey (Dunmore).

This committee was due to interview all the hopefuls for the job; and its members will still meet with Mulholland next Tuesday night even though he’s the only candidate remaining.

Mulholland, who led the U-21s to All-Ireland success this year and the Galway minors to All-Ireland success in 2007, will outline his backroom team and plans on how he hopes to replicate that success at senior level.

Dónal Ó Flatharta (An Spidéal), a selector with Mulholland at minor and U-21, and Tuam Stars trainer Alan Flynn, a selector/trainer with Mulholland this season, are expected to be among the backroom team.

The length of the tenure of fourth manager in as many years will also be negotiated.

This week, long-serving Galway star, Pádraic Joyce, said the new manager should be given three or four years at the helm to develop younger players. Joyce admitted Galway are “well down the pecking order in terms of winning All-Irelands” but that can change in a couple of years, not after six or 12 months, he said.

The Killererin man added that “whoever gets the job should have a bit of continuity” and should be afforded at least three years to develop and mould the county’s underage talent.

Delegates had been assured by the Board executive that following two unsuccessful one-year stints with ‘outsiders’ – Joe Kernan and Tomás Ó Flatharta – the county would shop local for the manager this year.

The interview committee will make a recommendation to delegates at the next board meeting. Meanwhile, the replay between Cortoon Shamrocks and Mountbellew/Moylough is scheduled for this Sunday at Tuam Stadium with a 4.15pm throw-in following stalemate last weekend.

The draw after extra time, the worst possible result for the ‘fixtures men’ has caused a fixtures nightmare for an already delayed senior club football championship.

It means the county semi-finals and final may have to be delayed further. The semi-finals are pencilled in for the first week in October; and the county final is due to take place on October 17, although this could now be pushed back.