'That is something we will not accept' - Athlone Town respond to Colin Fortune's accusations

Fortune resigned from his role as Athlone women's manager over the weekend before outlining his reasons for doing so in an interview on Monday.

Athlone Town team photo with fans. Pic: ©INPHO/Frank Uijlenbroek

Athlone Town have responded to comments made by former Women's manager Colin Fortune in which he accused the club's hierarchy of “interference”.

It was officially announced on Sunday that Fortune had resigned from his role and in an interview with the Westmeath Independent on Monday, the Athlone native outlined why he made that decision.

Fortune insisted he walked for two reasons – a failure to tie down himself and players on contracts as well as an alleged proposal for an executive board member to join the staff.

He would also add that although he was informed player contracts must wait, some were approached over his head by club officials which he felt undermined his authority and influenced his decision to quit.

American Nick Giannotti became Chairman of the club back in July, headhunting Steven Gray from Shamrock Rovers to become chief executive.

And on Tuesday, the same day the reigning Women's Premier Division champions flew to Scotland ahead of the first leg of their maiden Europa League campaign against Glasgow City on Wednesday, the club issued a statement in response to Fortune's remarks while also confirming John Sullivan will take interim charge of the team.

"The club notes the recent comments made by Colin Fortune," the statement began.

"This has been a historic season for Athlone Town AFC, and our focus remains firmly on supporting our teams as they continue to compete for success.

"Several weeks ago, the club was presented with an ultimatum by our former Women’s team manager for a contract extension, delivered ahead of vital League, Cup, and European fixtures.

"When an agreement was not reached, a resignation was submitted just before our fixture with Shamrock Rovers and subsequently accepted after the match.

"The timing and manner of this departure are regrettable, but they stem solely from individual interests being placed ahead of the collective progress of the team and the club.

"That is something we cannot and will not accept at Athlone Town AFC as we look to establish a culture of professionalism befitting the oldest club in the League of Ireland.

"We would like to sincerely thank Colin for his role with the Club this season and for his contribution to the progress made on the pitch.

"As this is the first season under the new Board, all football matters – from academy structures to senior management – will be reviewed at the end of the season as part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening the Club.

"It is our clear intention to ensure, for the first time in recent history, that budgets are managed with proper oversight, a process already underway through the appointment of a Financial Manager.

"In addition, we have begun recruiting further support staff across all teams to ensure our players and coaches have the resources they need to succeed.

"Our players have been spoken to directly regarding recent developments and remain united, motivated, and focused ahead of upcoming matches.

"We believe strongly that the most important thing to focus on is a special group of players representing our Club, our community, and our country on the European stage.

"We will continue to support our teams with all resources at our disposal in order to perform at an elite level, and our focus is preparing for a historic game in Glasgow on Wednesday night.

"We can confirm that John Sullivan will take interim charge of our Women’s team for the remainder of the season, having previously worked with our Men’s side. We wish him every success in this role.

"Finally, we would like to wish our players the very best of luck as they travel to Glasgow today to make history once again.

"The club will be making no further comment at this time."