WICKLOW GAA CHAIRMAN Martin Fitzgerald insists player unrest was not the reason behind Colin Kelly’s surprise decision to step down as senior football boss yesterday.
Louth native Kelly resigned after just four league games in charge, leaving Wicklow bottom of Division 3 after a draw and three losses.
Fitzgerald denied local reports that Rory Stokes, Cillian McDonald and David Devereux left the panel in recent weeks and insisted work commitments was the sole reason for Kelly’s departure.
“I heard that (players left the panel) as well but when I went to Ballinakill (Centre of Excellence) the players were all there, the ones that were named as leaving,” he told The42.
“There’s unrest in every camp but in fairness the way it worked out is Colin was under pressure work-wise and that’s the way it was. He was under pressure to get to Ballinakill, he was spending a lot of time away from his family.
“Work commitments was the big thing. Coming on the M50 he was under pressure to get to Ballinakill from his workplace. Being caught in traffic was a big problem.
“To get to Ballinakill (on time) he had to leave work early. The M50 is a pure disaster to try and get down at the wrong time.”
Former Louth boss Kelly also managed Westmeath in 2018, citing the five-hour commute to training as a major factor in his decision to stand aside after one season.
The Garden County, who face Laois on Sunday week, are hopeful of appointing Kelly’s successor by the weekend.
It was thought the county board would find it difficult to appoint a new manager given many potential candidates have already committed to roles at club or county level, but Fitzgerald says that hasn’t been the case.
They have narrowed the shortlist down to three potential candidates.
“Believe it or not there’s big interest in it,” he says. “I got a lot of phone calls from interested parties.
“We’re after having two meetings and another meeting tonight so we hope to have a new manager in place by the weekend.
“At the moment it might be someone within the county. We’re working on about three possibilities.”
Asked if Wicklow’s former All-Star Kevin O’Brien, who managed the county’s U20s and minors in recent years, is in the frame to take over, Fitzgerald responded: “We’re open to all suggestions at the moment.”
Kelly’s backroom team of Alan Costello (also county U20 manager), Philie Wolfe and Gary Duffy have remained in place and are taking training this week alongside strength and conditioning coach Dean Ryan.
“We had a meeting with the players. They have given commitment that they’re 100% behind whoever is going to come in.
“They’re very anxious to get on and go win the last three league games. I’ve never seen as anxious bunch of players (to start winning). We have a lot of very young players, we have eight or nine U21s on our team at the start of the league this year which is unheard of in any other county.
“We had a full-back in one particular league game of three U21s and the three in the full-forward line was the same.
“They’re a very fair set of players. They just want to play for their county. They’re a very young bunch. We have 10 players, one particular day we started in the league there was 10 U21s in the team. It’s really a building exercise.
“So the prospects for Wicklow football is very good,” he added.
After the home clash with Laois, Wicklow travel to Longford and host Louth in their bid to avoid relegation.
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