Dubs hotseat candidates keeping heads down

THE leading candidates to replace Tommy Lyons as Dublin manager are keeping mum about their intentions.

Outgoing selector Dave Billings has emerged as a strong runner but said yesterday: "There was a press conference only last night and it would be ungracious to be thinking about anything like that so soon after it.

"To be honest, I haven't even thought about it. The county board have to deal with it and I'll give my full backing to whoever they decide to bring in."

Billing's fellow selector under Lyons, Paul Caffrey, is also a strong contender for some role in the new regime.

Former Galway player Brian Talty has also declined to comment on his intentions. However the Parnells' club man was interested in succeeding Tommy Carr three years ago and is expected to be so again this time.

Brian Mullins still stands out as the one to watch, however, even though he has not been involved in senior inter-county football since his stint with Derry ended in the late 1990s. Na Fianna manager Mick Galvin is also being mentioned as a contender.

"What needs to be looked at though is not just the senior manager but the entire system," said Joe Nugent, chairman of the Dublin Supporters Club.

"Names are being thrown about ... but that's the easy part. What I would advocate is that everyone involved take a step back and see what we are looking for in the long term."

That will involve, claims Nugent, a thorough examination of the Dublin's underage structure.

"We've had one U21 All-Ireland success in recent times but we haven't won a minor title in 20 years. We're not winning as much as we should be at underage level.

"Yes we're competitive but we're not getting over that winning line. Brian Cullen was picked for the seniors when he was still a minor but there isn't enough contact between the underage and senior structures. Kevin Heffernan is doing a fantastic job on the development squads but a tighter control is needed.

"We need to think carefully about where we are going. Talking to Tommy Lyons, who has suffered personally like Tommy Carr did, it's clear that there are lessons to be learnt. We should take their views on board as well when deciding what it is we're looking for in a new manager."

Across the border in Meath, county chairman Fintan Ginnity preferred not to comment on Eamon Barry's call for an investigation of the county board into the contest for manager of the senior football team.

Barry claimed that Ginnity openly campaigned for Boylan's re-election, with the Dunboyne man securing a 50-37 vote which puts him charge for a staggering 23rd consecutive year in 2005.

As far as Ginnity is concerned, all that now remains is for Boylan's term to be agreed it may yet be three years or just the one and for a team of selectors to be put in place. Former Meath player and Monaghan manager Colm Coyle is rumoured to be coming on board but Ginnity claimed to be in the dark as to what Boylan's thoughts were on the matter.

"We'll have to sit down with Sean now in the next few days and discuss all that as we haven't had an opportunity to do it before now, The selectors will have to be in place before the next county board meeting in October, in any case.

"Colm is away with a son of mine in America at the moment and won't be back until the weekend. Like I said, I haven't talked with Sean about anything like that yet. The only thing I've heard on that is a newspaper headline. There hasn't been any talk about it in Meath, that I've heard of."