New pitch still possible before season kicks-

A NEW 4G playing surface could still be laid at Oriel Park before the start of the new season, according to Dundalk FC General Manager Martin Connolly.

In an interview with The Argus on Monday prior to the club’s return for pre-season training, Connolly said a new pitch was still a possibility despite the short five-and-a-half week turnaround to the opening game of the season at home to Shamrock Rovers on February 24th.

The club’s board and manager Stephen Kenny are now discussing how to fit the relaying process in around the club’s pre-season plans.

Home fixtures scheduled to take place before the start of the league include the Malone Cup clash with neighbours Drogheda Utd on February 10th and the President’s Cup final against Cork City on February 18th or 19th. Dundalk club are also due to face St Pat’s CY in the Leinster Senior Cup at a date yet to be arranged.

Connolly says despite the obvious pressures of getting a pitch relaid before the start of the season, it is possible.

‘It might happen,’ he said when asked about the possibility of a new surface.

‘The other areas we have to look at is pre-season preparation and stuff like that. Until we have everything nailed down we have nothing nailed down. It is progressing though.

‘We’re doing a lot of talking in various areas, to do with the pitch, to do with the ground and the YDC. There’s an awful lot of work being done at the moment.

‘We’re just not in a position to say too much. As a group and as a club we’re not the type to say things just for the sake of saying them but when we’ve got some- thing to say we’ll say it and we are going to say things soon. It’s not too far away now,’ he said.

While admitting the pitch was the immediate priority, Connolly said the long-term plan for redeveloping Oriel Park was also on the agenda.

‘At the moment it will just be the pitch but the whole development of Oriel is part of a bigger plan,’ he said.

‘At the minute we’re looking to see what we can do and what we can’t do, what’s viable and what’s not.

‘I think we’re all singing from the one hymn sheet when we say that ultimately we want to host European games but that’s not going to be done overnight by any means.

‘I’d like to be honest with people. We don’t want to say things where we haven’t done our homework or don’t know exactly what we’re talking about. Until we’ve some sort of plan in place we don’t Picture: Aidan Dullaghan want to say too much,’ he said.

One move that may happen in the short term is the development of a gym and rehabilitation area in the Youth Development Centre, which the club will look to utilise as much as possible this year.

‘It’s not bad,’ said Martin, when asked about the condition of the centre which was closed early last year by former owner Gerry Matthews.

‘There is a couple of options that we have in relation to it. Predominantly at the moment we’ll be just looking to use it for club activities, for our underage setup, our first team if we can and maybe some sort of gym or rehabilitation area for our players and our younger players and we would like to do that fairly quickly if we can.’

Work was also progressing on what Connolly described as ‘general housekeeping’ at Oriel Park on Monday. This included new signage and the painting of