Soccer – Airtricity League of Ireland Division One
By Liam Porter
Former West Ham United and Liverpool defender Julian Dicks is among the twelve candidates who have applied for the vacant manager’s job at Finn Harps, the Donegal News can reveal.
The former tough defender who was nicknamed ‘The Terminator’ confirmed yesterday that he has applied for the position having previously managed English non-league sides Wivenhoe Town and Grays Athletic.
“Yes, I have applied for the job,” Dicks said when contacted yesterday about the Harps position.
His application is just one of a number of high-profile names linked to the manager’s job left vacant by Peter Hutton before the end of last season and he is one of three people who have now publicly confirmed interest in the post.
Sean ‘Wizard’ McGowan who has acted in a caretaker capacity on several occasions at Finn Harps and former Galway and Sligo boss Don O’Riordan have also confirmed that they would be interested in the Harps job.
In total twelve applications for the job were received before last Friday’s deadline but Harps secretary John Campbell said that unfortunately one of the applicants did not meet the coaching criteria required.
However he added that that all eleven eligible candidates in the running for the post are of a very high calibre.
“Obviously we have assured the applicants of confidentiality and while a few people have made their interest in the job public, we will not be revealing any details of the applicants,” the Harps secretary said.
He did confirm however the initial interview process for the job will commence during the week starting November 4th, with a second round of interviews to follow after for applicants who are short-listed.
‘We will be seeking some assistance this time for our interview process and after the initial stage a short-list will be drawn up for the board for a second interview,” Mr. Campbell said.
While a number of names have been linked with the Harps position over the past few weeks, the Donegal News understands that almost all of the applications have come from within Ireland (North and South).
It is also believed that a number of those who have applied are currently with other clubs.
Rumours however linking former Kilmarnock boss Kenny Shiels and former Sligo Rovers boss Willie McStay to the job are thought to be wide of the mark but it remains unclear whether or not there is any truth to speculation linking other candidates to the job including the likes of Sean Connor, Donal O’Brien, Declan Boyle, Ollie Horgan, Trevor Scanlan and Joe Boyle.
Mr. Campbell would only say yesterday once again that the Harps Board had taken great heart from the level of interest in the manager’s job.
“It is very heartening when you look at the quality of the individuals concerned that there is such an interest in the position because it shows that the Finn Harps name still has prestige and that people still believe it is a club worthy of being associated with,” he concluded.
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