Dundalk CEO Gerry Matthews says that the need for "stability and consistency" was the reason behind the Board’s decision to give new boss Ian Foster a two-year deal, as he became the club’s third manager in three seasons when he was unveiled as successor to Sean Connor at the Crowne Plaza on Friday night. Matthews feels that as well as benefitting first-team affairs, that a long-term deal for Foster will also help the progression of the Youth Development Centre which is set to be "90 percent operational" by the middle of next year.

Looking long-term
“I think the club, from year-to-year, has grown in strength, and I think Ian has shown that he’s very enthusiastic,” Matthews told dundalkfc.com. “He’s a young guy, he’s going to bring a lot to the club, and we need to put in a process that’s not just over one year. We need a wee bit of stability, we need consistency, and we would like to embark on projects with youth. And to give a manager the opportunity to do that we think we need him for at least two years, if not more. That’s why we’ve made this decision.

‘Right decision’
“We gave a lot of thought to finding a new manager,” he added. “We done a lot of interviews, and we feel we’ve made the right decision, and we can move on from here now. Des Denning and Kevin Holland, and other people on the Board, have maybe put a lot more time and effort than me into trying to get this issue resolved over the last few weeks. I think the fans have been very patient with us, and we would like them now to fully row in behind Ian and the club, and give us the support that’s necessary to follow through on our commitment and ambition for the club.”

Budget pending
Exactly what budget Foster will have to work with next season has yet to be determined, as the club are still awaiting a definite answer from the FAI on the salary protocol for next season. “The FAI regulations and the whole salary protocol is being looked at, and they haven’t finalised that yet,” Matthews said. “There are areas where the manager’s wages have to be paid in that protocol, which wasn’t the case last year, but they haven’t finalised that. We were even talking to the Compliance Officer today in the FAI, Padraig Smith, with a view to getting the finalised figures, and he needs to come down and sit with each individual club. That might happen in a week or so. Until then, we can’t exactly say what it is. They are our governing body, they have rules and regulations, and we have to follow them, whether we like it or not.”

Plans in place
Due to a huge downturn in sponsorship over the past 12 months, Dundalk face a €200,000 deficit for the past season, although Matthews revealed that plans are in place to gradually reduce that shortfall. “We have secured a loan for the half of that, which is €100,000,” he explained. “We will deal with certain creditors over a long-term period, which will give us a bit of flexibility on maybe the half of that. That leaves a balance of maybe €50,000 – we’re hoping we’ve actually got some of that in already with some of the fundraising events that we’ve had over the last few weeks. We’re hoping to strengthen our fundraising and increase our fundraising events in the New Year.

‘Good footing’
“We feel that the club is on a very good footing,” he added. “We’ve had four years, and in three of them we broke even. The year we’ve lost €200,000 is an unprecedented year, not just for football but for every business, so we don’t think that should be held against us. We’re still very enthusiastic and very focussed on what we need to do over the next few years. We think the long-term project is very good. The Youth Development Centre is going to bring an income into the club. While it may not be 100 percent completed, 90 percent of it will be operational in maybe about four months, so we believe that will bring us a social income as well. The initial grant allocation is €250,000. We’re still hoping to secure more funding in the line of grants, not just direct from the Department of Sports & Tourism, but in other areas as well, including cross-border, so we’re still hoping to get more funding to finish the project.”

Supporter plea
Director Des Denning had opened proceedings at the press conference by, on behalf of the club’s Board, welcoming Foster to Dundalk, with the former chairman also, like Matthews, asking the club’s fans to give the new manager their full backing. “On the behalf of the Directors of Dundalk Football Club, we are proud to unveil our new manager for the coming year, and with a two-year contract,” he said. “He is a very young manager, full of ambition and passionate about football. We see him as the man to build this club for the future. He will have the full support of the Dundalk Board, and I would ask the fans of Dundalk to do likewise and give him a big welcome to this club.”

Possible departure
Meanwhile, Matthews revealed that 17-year-old left-back Nathan Murphy, who broke into the first team at the end of last season, is currently considering a move to Blackburn Rovers, where he recently impressed on a trial. However, the club’s owner said that negotiations were still at an “early stage”, but that the former Belvedere and Saint Dominic’s youngster would certainly not leave for free. “We can’t discuss the details of it, but there is a bit of security there for Dundalk Football Club,” he said. “I think that (finishing his Leaving Cert next June first) is his preferred option at the minute. I haven’t spoken to him personally, but some people have, and I think that is his preferred option. It’s very early days. It’s great to see a chap like that getting the opportunity, and it’s great to see that all the clubs associated with him down through the years will benefit financially as well. It’s not just a Dundalk thing in that respect. But it’s very early days, and we wouldn’t like to jeopardise any of the negotiations going on by saying the wrong thing.”