A new dawn as

IT’S a new dawn. It’s a new day. It’s a new lease of life, for Bray Wanderers, and Gary Cronin is feeling excited about his first ever managerial job.

The 39-year-old ex-Seagull is aware of the off-field problems suffered by the Co.Wicklow club in recent times - he’s clicked on the websites, he’s read the newspapers and he’s listened to the podcasts. But he’s also spoken to the club’s new chairman Niall O’Driscoll and that is what whetted the former Longford Town number two’s appetite for the Bray dugout.

“It’s my first job. I’m not going to get the perfect job”, admitted Cronin. “I have to prove myself and I thought after speaking to the new chairman that it was a fantastic opportunity and I was delighted to take it on. He was enthusiastic about the new project that’s coming and so was I. We shared a lot of the same thoughts and values so I was happy to take the job.”

The honeymoon period did not last long. Finn Harps dumped Cronin’s men out of the FAI Cup after extra time but Cronin knows this is not a quick-fix - he was only introduced to the players for the first time 48 hours before the visit of Harps.