Galway set to spread the net in search for Kernan’s successor

THERE is growing speculation in Galway that football bosses may go outside the four candidates already interviewed to take over as Joe Kernan’s successor.

It had been expected that the new County manager would be announced towards the middle of this week but football board chairman John Joe Holleran last night confirmed it may be next week before a name is submitted to delegates for ratification.

And while he confirmed that the board executive had given the interview sub-committee the power to go outside the four nominated and interviewed, he stressed that was not being done at the moment.

“We are not considering that as part of the process. We are still digesting the outcome of the four interviews which have taken place. It has not been possible to assemble the sub-committee as often as we would like and it could be the weekend or into next week before we manage that,” said Holleran.

Galway will now go into tomorrow night’s 2011 championship draw without a manager but Holleran confirmed that all four candidates remained in the hunt.

Galway minor manager Gerry Fahy and former Westmeath manager Tomas O Flatharta were believed to be the front-runners for the position.

But Peter Warren, who was a selector with John O’Mahony when Galway won the All-Ireland title in 1998 and 2001, is also now strongly fancied while Annaghdown’s Matt Duggan is considered a long shot to become the fourth Tribesmen boss since 2007.