Ex Shels manager named as Clancy’s number 2 MARCUS CAVAROLI
TIM Clancy has made a key appointment to his backroom team at Drogheda United after confirming former Shelbourne manager Kevin Doherty as his assistant.
Clancy, himself only in the job five weeks, had been struggling to fill the position but is happy to have finally secured the services of Doherty who, at 37, is four years his senior.
Speaking on Monday as he prepared for the team’s first full pre-season training session in Ashbourne, Clancy enthused: ‘Kevin has a lot of experience with Shelbourne and Longford and it’s good to get him.
‘I haven’t worked with him before, but I knew him from when he was Shelbourne manager and myself and [director of football] Dave Robertson had a good chat with him and he’s happy to be coming to Drogheda.
‘He knows a lot of the players as well.’
Doherty was assistant to Johnny McDonnell at Tolka Park in 2013 and 2014 until McDonnell left to become manager of Drogheda, after which Doherty was promoted to the hot seat at Shelbourne.
The Artane native was unable to turn around the club’s fortunes, however, and left in June 2016, subsequently taking a short-term coaching position at Longford Town.
As a youth he spent three years with Liverpool, turning out for both the youth and reserve teams, and despite an injury-blighted career he won three Premier Division medals with Shelbourne and was named in the PFAI Team of the Season for 2002/3.
Clancy also hopes to be able to name his goalkeeping coach this week, but he hasn’t added to his 13-strong playing squad as yet, despite pre-season getting under way with fitness assessments last Friday.
‘We had all the 13 players there who we have on contract, we’re happy enough with how the assessments went and the lads were alright,’ reported Clancy.
‘We’d given them a fitness programme, although not as long as we would have liked because things were all a bit rushed with me getting the job, but it’s good to get back training and now we’ll kick on, building fitness and talking about how we want to try and play.
‘There’s no real rush to build up the squad. Another few things will come up in the window, maybe players being released from English clubs or players at Premier clubs here who aren’t going to get game time.’
Drogheda have confirmed another friendly match to follow the games with Bohemians (Tuesday Jan 23rd, home), Dundalk (Jan 27th, away) and Derry City (away, Feb 2nd). They will host Bray Wanderers on Friday February 9th.
Meanwhile, Drogheda have been drawn at home to one of three non-league clubs - Bangor Celtic, Crettyard United or Mullingar Athletic - in the Leinster Senior Cup fourth round. The winners of the outstanding second-round tie between Bangor and Crettyard will face Mullingar for the right to meet the Boynesiders.
Clancy hopes Drogheda will be able to schedule that Leinster match before the start of the league season, which sees Finn Harps visit United Park on February 23rd.