Chairman discusses managerial vacancy

COLERAINE chairman Colin McKendry spoke to the press to outline the Bannsiders’ plans moving forward as the search begins for a new manager…

The Chairman confirmed that Trevor McKendry has been given the reins as interim manager but that his phone hasn’t stopped with enquiries to take the hot seat at The Showgrounds.

“Tonight we met here and the backroom staff had a pre-match meeting and we spoke to the players about things going forward,” McKendry said.

“Trevor McKendry is the interim manager and will be the guys the players speak to. He has the A Licence, with Paul Owens and William Murphy obtaining their B Licences.

“For us to meet licence requirements it has to be that way but all three will make the shots in the changing room and outside the changing room the decisions will be made by Trevor, with all three having a say on what happens on the training pitch.

“We will be putting on our website on Monday morning expressions of interest in the job and there have been a number of enquiries to date and my phone hasn’t stopped.

“There have been a number of enquiries from America, Iceland, France, England, it’s been phenomenal. This club is now sitting in a great foundation and is a very attractive proposition for a proven manager who wants to get to the next level.”

McKendry revealed that the club will take their time to appoint Kearney’s successor but that the new man in charge will have to tick all the right boxes.

“We will certainly move on and the decision won’t be taken lightly,” he added.

“The one thing I can tell you is that the backroom staff will remain the same and the structures won’t change.

“People who will help choose the next appointment will be the backroom staff, the Board of Directors, two independent personnel who I trust enormously and senior pros at the club.

“There’s a gut feeling about who we want to appoint and it was the same with Oran.

“Oran arrived here to a club which wasn’t in a good situation both on and off the pitch.

“The club has now taken over the Academy, the turnover of the club has now developed into a big business and we need someone to come in with a business head on them and know the implications of making wrong decisions.

“It’s a business decision as well as a footballing one. They say that they don’t combine well but Oran was a businessman, as well as a manager.”

McKendry insists he is more than determined to keep things moving in the right direction and urges the fans to get behind the club.

“From Tuesday to today (Saturday), the Oran Kearney era is gone,” McKendry concluded.

“The self-pity side of things here is gone and as Oran Kearney said the decision has been made and both parties move on.

“As much as we want Oran to do well, we have to move on and the club is in a new era.

“I was at the international match against Bosnia and every Irish League chairman had a big grin on their face because they know we had something special here.

“I keep saying that they would love to take what we have here. Crusaders tried to take McGonigle, those saying Brad has gone will derail everything and I’m saying that won’t happen.

“I’m more than determined that we won’t drop back into what happened here before.”