| Former Dundalk boss takes over Edgeley Park hotseat BY LARRY COONEY
 Ex-Dundalk manager
Jim Gannon has been appointed new Stockport County boss until the end
of the season.
Gannon confirmed he had agreed personal terms with the struggling Cheshire
club adding that his position would be reviewed at the end of the season.
Gannon, 37, was appointed Stockport caretaker boss following the departure
of Chris Turner on Boxing Day. Turner had succeeded Sammy McIlroy but
was dismissed after the side hit rock-bottom of League Two following a
succession of defeats.
So far Gannon has managed to steer the Hatters — who have ex-Shamrock
Rovers player Mickael Wolski on their books — to one win and a draw
in his first two games in charge.
Former Stockport player Gannon — who made 479 appearances at Edgeley
Park scoring 68 goals in a 10-year period between 1989 and 1999 —
said his focus was now on helping the club avoid relegation to the Conference
League.
He said: “I am delighted to be appointed Stockport County manager
and our priority now is to climb out of the relegation zone and stabilise
the club.”
“It will be tough between now and the end of the season as every
game will be vital but the talent and the belief is here to turn things
around and our fans are also getting behind us.”
Gannon quit as Dundalk manager last November following the departures
of directors Sean Connolly and Tom Baldwin.
Meanwhile Eircom League club St. Patrick’s Athletic appear to be
casting their net much wider that any of their fellow clubs with the announcement
of a new multi-lingual e-mail service for supporters.
What will set this service apart from anything else is the fact that they
are seeking to appeal to many different ethnic communities and will offer
the service in no less than 11 languages including Gaeilge. The other
languages include: Polish, Mandarin (Chinese), French, Spanish, German,
Portuguese, Swahili, Afrikaans and Russian.
The translation service is expected to be provided by volunteers according
to St. Patrick’s chairman Andy O’Callaghan.
He believes this development reflects the growing multi-cultural communities
in Dublin.
He said: “This is a very exciting development for the club. We have
always been seen as a club that embraced diversity and multiculturalism
and extending this ethos to those making their home in our country is
a natural extension of this.
“I would like to see people of all nationalities at our games
and regarding St. Patrick’s as their club in Ireland.
“There are over 100,000 Polish people in Ireland — if even
1 per cent of those became St. Patrick’s Athletic supporters it
would mean 1,000 new supporters for the club.”
Back on the field St. Pats will have four home pre-season friendlies.
Visiting Richmond Park will be Finn Harps, Kildare County, Shamrock Rovers
and Limerick.
Pre-season friendlies
January 25:
Institute of Technology Tallaght v Shamrock Rovers, St. James Gate, 7.30pm.
January 26:
Dundalk v Shelbourne, Oriel Park, 7.30pm.
January 28:
Limerick v Shelbourne, Hogan Park, 5.30pm.
January 31:
Crumlin United v Shamrock Rovers, Pearse Park, 8.30pm.
February 3:
Galway Utd. v Shelbourne, Terryland Park, 7.30pm.
Limerick v Dublin City, Hogan Park, 7.45pm.
February 4:
Longford Town v Athlone Town, Flancare Park, 7.30pm.
February 8:
Longford Town v Shamrock Rovers, Flancare Park, 8pm.
February 9:
Dundalk v St. Patrick’s Athletic, Oriel Park, 7.45pm.
February 10:
Athlone Town v Bohemians, Golden Island Park,
7.30pm.
February 12:
FC United v Galway Utd, Wycombe Wanderers’ training ground), KO.
TBC.
February 14:
Galway Utd. v Cork City, Terryland Park, 7.30pm.
Dundalk v Drogheda United (Jim Malone Trophy), Oriel Park, 7.45pm.
Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers, Tolka Park, 8pm.
February 15:
St. Patricks Athletic v Finn Harps, Richmond Park, 7.45pm.
February 17:
Galway Utd v Bohemians, Terryland Park, 7.30pm.
St Patricks Athletic v Kildare County, Richmond Park, 7.45pm.
February 18:
Cork City v Finn Harps, Bishopstown, 12pm.
February 19:
Athlone Town v Dublin City, Golden Island Park, 2.30pm.
February 23:
Dundalk v Longford Town, Oriel Park, 7.45pm.
February 24:
St Patrick’s Athletic v Shamrock Rovers, Richmond Park, 7.45pm.
February 25:
Athlone Town v UCD, Golden Island Park, 7.30pm.
Dundalk v Dublin City, Oriel Park, 7.45pm.
February 28:
Longford Town v Limerick, Flancare Park, 7.45pm.
March 2:
Dundalk v Bohemians, Oriel Park, 7.45pm.
March 3:
Finn Harps v Sligo Rovers, Finn Park, 7.45pm.
St Patrick’s Athletic v Limerick, Richmond Park, 7.45pm.
March 4:
Galway Utd v Longford Town, Terryland Park, 3pm.
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