Dundalk manager wasn’t told the whole truth

Jon Daly revealed he’s unlikely to stay on as Dundalk FC manager beyond the end of the current season after The Lilywhites were beaten 2-1 at Sligo Rovers on Saturday night.

A fourth straight defeat kept Dundalk rooted to the bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, with only five games left to rescue their flickering top-flight status.

The club are also mired in financial difficulties off the field, resulting in US-based Brian Ainscough’s troubled nine-month spell as owner coming to an end last Tuesday – culminating with revelations of unpaid salaries prior to a lucky escape from liquidation.

John Temple stepped in to lead a consortium of investors that have agreed to underwrite wages until the end of the campaign and examine the viability of the club thereafter.

Daly, who succeeded Noel King in the Oriel Park hotseat at the end of May, admitted he likely would not have taken the job had he been made aware of the club’s predicament.

“It’s probably looking unlikely,” said the ex-St Patrick’s Athletic boss when asked if he wished to stay on. “That’s up in the air at the minute, my own personal situation. The club is a fantastic club. I’ve really enjoyed working at the club, there’s some good people at the club and they’re a good group. I’m here and I’m working as hard as I possibly can to get the results that we can to keep us in the division and then go from there.

“I was told certain things when I came, and if I’d been told the truth, I probably would’ve stayed with my family and in Scotland,” he admitted. “But I’m glad I came because it’s been an experience for me. In terms of my own development, it’s not a situation that you normally get into or get involved in, so it’s been learning for me in how to deal with it and crisis management, et cetera.

“I don’t feel let down. I just feel like I wasn’t told the whole truth about the situation and where it was at, but I’m glad I’m here and we’re fighting as hard as we possibly can.”

Local barrister Temple, an Avenue Road native, met with Daly and the squad shortly after preventing Dundalk from closing its doors for good following 121 years of existence.

The new owner has indicated no immediate plans are in place to enter the Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP) that would incur a points deduction.

“Personally I’m fine,” said Daly. “In my head space, I know where I’m at and I’m all right with that. I’m delighted the club didn’t fold. John has come in and taken the reins on the short-term until the end of the season to see where it’s at and then address things from there.

“It’s obviously not out of the woods yet, which you would’ve seen with his interview. It’s allowed us to try and accumulate points on the pitch to try and stay in the division that way without getting hit with points penalties.

“He’s working in the background to try and come to an agreement with creditors without actually going into SCARP, which I think is quite a clever way of doing it.

“For the creditors themselves, it’s probably a good way to do it because if it does go into SCARP, they’re probably going to get the bare minimum, so I think he’s trying to be fair to them.

“It’s not necessarily his debt that he’s accumulated, so he’s trying to facilitate it and help them as best he can. I think it’s a smart way of doing it and fingers crossed he can come to an agreement with them.

“The issue then is dropping to the First Division if we get relegated and it’s trying to get yourself a squad together to try and get back out of it.”