Galway begin hunt for new boss as Cousins axed

GALWAY UNITED will look to Britain and the continent in the search for a new manager after they sacked Tony Cousins and his management team after an emergency board meeting yesterday.

The news of the Dubliner’s removal only became official after midday, but by 4pm the club were believed to have received 15 applications for the post.

However United chairman John Fallon says the club will not rush into a new appointment, and they have appointed Billy Clery, a former club captain and United’s U-21 manager last season, as caretaker manager until a new man is appointed.

“It is not a decision we rushed into, and no one likes to see someone lose their job, but the simple fact of the matter is performances and results weren’t up to scratch.

“We are not headhunting anyone, we don’t have a shortlist, we are going to advertise the job and go from there,” he said.

Fallon was quick to quash rumours that United had approached former Cork City manager Damien Richardson last week, saying such an approach would have been “intolerable”.

For his part, Richardson said he didn’t want to be drawn on his interest or otherwise in the vacancy, saying Tony Cousins was a friend of his and he felt it wouldn’t be right to comment.

Other names tipped include Roddy Collins, Sean Connor and Paul McGee, the former United striker who had a brief spell as manager in the 1990s.

For now, Clery will lead the squad and he took his first training session yesterday ahead of the club’s trip to United Park this Friday night to take on reigning champions Drogheda United.

The writing was on the wall for Cousins following Saturday night’s 2-0 loss at home to Shamrock Rovers. United have got off to a poor start in the league, taking just one point from their opening four games to sit one place off the bottom of the table.