Dundalk appoint Devlin as owners eye new stadium

DUNDALK have confirmed Mark Devlin as the club’s new chief executive, with his expertise in helping plan for a new stadium cited as one of the key contributors to the appointment. With over 20 years’ experience in the same role at Swindon Town, Queens Park Rangers and most recently Brentford, where he spent the last seven seasons, Devlin beat a number of rivals to land the post following the resignation of Mal Brannigan earlier this year. The redevelopment of Oriel Park, or perhaps a move away, was not a top priority for Peak6, the American investment firm, when they took charge ahead of the 2018 season, but now appears higher on the agenda. And following the loss of manager Stephen Kenny to the FAI, and the restructuring that took place with Vinny Perth’s ascension to head coach and John Gill’s arrival as first-team coach, Devlin’s arrival is hoped to maintain continuity in the boardroom. ‘We are confident that we have found the right person to drive the club forward and help us achieve our goals as a business,’ chairman Mike Treacy (above) said. ‘While at Brentford, Mark led the West London club’s ascension from League One to the Championship. ‘Crucially, Mark demonstrated a number of key attributes that are important to us as we seek to take the business to new heights — amongst them, modernising club operations, increasing and engaging with the fan base and he was heavily involved in the planning of the new Brentford Community Stadium.’ Devlin added: ‘My aspirations match that of the owners, in that I want Dundalk FC to be trailblazers off the pitch as well as on it. ‘Our common goal is to ensure we continue to dominate domestic football, and make continued progress in Europe, bringing success to both the town and the county.’