CONTRACT TALKS FIRST UP FOR JIM

Dundalk to unveil new Sporting Director and sponsor BetRegal

JIM Magilton will be officially unveiled as Dundalk’s sporting director today (Tuesday), 24 hours after confirming BetRegal as their new main sponsor.

The 51-year-old took up his role at Oriel Park on a four-year deal yesterday morning, having departed the IFA where he had been Elite Performance Director since 2013.

In an exclusive first interview with The Argus, Magilton revealed ambitious plans to improve the match-day experience at Oriel Park, to open up the Youth Development Centre for both staff and supporters and to involve former players and fans more in the club.

While he is expected to unveil more ambitious plans for the future at the official announcement of BetRegal as the club’s new sponsor, in the short term the Belfast man’s primary task will be tying down some of the 16 players out of contract at the club.

While hopes are high that the likes of

Michael Duffy, Daniel Kelly, Cameron

Dummigan, Brian Gartland and David

McMillan will remain at Dundalk next year, there is work to be done to ensure that Sean Gannon remains in Oriel Park after confirmation that Sean Hoare has signed for rivals Shamrock Rovers.

Asked how confident he was of keeping the players he wanted to keep, Magilton said:

‘I’m confident negotiations are going to take place. I’m very confident of that, but in all negotiations it’s about both sides.

‘We will sit down and make offers and listen to what the player wants and if we can match that, fantastic, but if we can’t then obviously we have to be prepared for replacements and we have to be ready to bring them in.’

Work is also under way in recruiting new players, with a new goalkeeper amongst the priorities following Gary Rogers’ decision to retire on Friday.

Further detail on the status of the club’s out of contract stars is expected at the official BetRegal announcement, which will include the launch of the club’s new away jersey. The new kit from Umbro has a black and amber design, commemorating the club’s association with the Great Northern

Railway who wore those colours between 1919 and 1927.