Tommy Dunne has been sacked by Galway United after the board lost patience with a run of form that has seen United’s season peter out from one of promise to a likely 9th place finish in the table.
Legal representatives from both sides met yesterday afternoon and evening to hammer out a deal on the departure, as Dunne still had more than a year left on his contract.
Dunne was United’s fourth-longest serving manager, having presided over 109 games – only Tony Mannion (382 games), Don O’Riordan (162), and John Herrick (146) spent longer at the helm.
However, a run of just one win in eight games – including 4-2 and 5-3 defeats at the hands of Shamrock Rovers and Cork City respectively in the past week – has seen the board decide to remove Dunne, despite him having a contract until the end of the 2017 season.
The Dublin native was appointed as manager – apparently seeing off the challenge of former United captain, John Glynn; and former United manager, Don O’Riordan, to land the job – when United rejoined the league in 2014.
He led them to promotion in that first season in charge; and kept the side in the top-flight last season, as well as leading the club to its a domestic final, the EA Sports Cup final, for the first time in almost 20 years.
Hopes were high that United would push on again this year, and the season started promisingly enough, the side opening with back-to-back wins over St Patrick’s Athletic and Bray Wanderers, before drawing away to Sligo Rovers in a game they should have won; and conceding an injury-time winner away to Derry City.
Results remained solid enough over the next couple of months, with United taking 22 points from their first 15 league games before the mid-season break in June, although they did bow out of the FAI Cup and EA Sports Cup the previous month. However, results since the return to action have been poor, with a return of just 12 points from 13 games with three wins, three draws, and seven defeats.
For more see this week’s Galway City Tribune.
