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MURRAY RESIGNS

At 10:30pm tonight, Martin Murray entered the Lilywhite Lounge in Oriel Park with Des Denning, Ollie Ralph and Tommy McConville. News had filtered through that just minutes earlier, after the 4-2 defeat to Athlone, Murray had announced his resignation as manager of Dundalk Football Club. For those present, it was an almost surreal experience. Murray had one drink, and explained to any Dundalk fans nearby that he felt it was time to go. As he turned to leave the bar, the fans present started clapping, and eventually he left to a standing ovation. This wasn't just the end of a managerial career. This was the end of an association with Dundalk that goes back to his days as a player, where he was a member of the double winning side. Therefore, it's fitting that his exit from the club was so dignified, and so emotional for those present. After being the target for so much vitriol earlier in the evening, his poignant departure ironically offers a microcosm of the rollercoaster of emotions experienced by Dundalk fans during his time in charge.

It ended where it started, in the Lilywhite Lounge back in June of 2000. At a hastily arranged press conference, Murray was unveiled to a small gathering of press and supporters as the manager of Dundalk. Immediately, he impressed those present by announcing the signing of Martin Reilly. More players were on the way, and for Dundalk fans weary after a narrow and controversial failure to gain promotion with the Fran Carter scandal, the new era brought with it hope and optimism. Liam Dunne, Arron Callaghan, Ian Hill, Greg O'Dowd and Brian McKenna soon followed, and after spending heavily, Dundalk started the season as promotion favourites. After an opening draw with Limerick, Dundalk went on an excellent run, with the quality of football extremely high. In the early stages of the season, things were looking extremely well, and Murray's honeymoon period was a comfortable one for all.

However, as the season continued, the jitters crept in. After a rocky period, Donal Broughan, Tommy Byrne and Eoin Mullen were signed in mid October. The ship was steadied, and Dundalk clawed back the lead of Athlone, with Martin Reilly absolutely outstanding all season long.

Yet, fears were expressed about the ability of manager, and indeed, the ability of the side after the calamitous 1-0 FAI Cup defeat to Portmarnock, arguably the worst in the history of the club, and a 5-2 loss at home to Sligo in United Park during the height of the foot and mouth crisis.

Murray was a nervous wreck before the game against Limerick, four games from the end of the season. In fact, some questioned if the manager was losing it, such was his nervous and bizarre mannerisms and behaviour before the game as he uncharacteristically came onto the field before kickoff, shouting messages at each player individually. Dundalk scraped a victory, and went on to defeat Athlone and take the First Division title. After the game, Des Denning raised Murray's arm up in the air, in front of a cheering main stand : the clear message being that the decision to appoint Murray as manager was vindicated. The truth was, Murray had been told it was either promotion, or the sack, despite initial reports suggesting he had signed a three year deal as manager.

The build up the 2001/2 season, and a return to the Premier Division again brought more hope in Oriel Park press conferences. The signings of Stephen McGuinness, James Keddy, Stuart Connolly, Johnathan Prizeman, Ciaran Kavanagh and the jinxed Mick O'Byrne were announced. A series of pre season friendlies increased optimism, with a 4-1 thrashing of Glenavon displaying the ability which this Dundalk side undoubtedly possessed.

However, the press conference unveiling the new players developed into a Q&A session with Murray, with many questioning decisions made during the previous season. In contrast with the often downbeat and motionless Murray on the sideline, he displayed a conviction in his opinions that we had never seen before. "I want people to come to Oriel next year, not just to see Dundalk win, but to enjoy themselves as well ... I'll defend my players....it bugged me when the players took stick ...you can criticise me, I can take all that sh*t"

Confidence was high in the camp, and a reasonable start to the season including memorable wins over Bohemians and Derry allowed some Oriel Park fans to dream about top six finishes. Even after a few defeats, Murray was confident everything would be ok at the club. "There's no way we will be in relegation trouble this season", he defiantly proclaimed. Nevertheless, as November approached, it was clear that the club was in serious bother. Financial problems forced the hand of Murray, who was told that some players just had to go, for costcutting purposes. The decision to release David Ward to Newry on loan caused controversy, with the player left bemused considering that the manager, just one week earlier, had praised him openly at training for his first rate attitude and commitment.

The undoubtedly unstable relationship between Murray and midfielder Johnathan Prizeman also angered fans, with many questioning the man management skills of Murray, by his constant withdrawal of Prizeman from the pitch. During a game against Cork City, the substitution of Prizeman caused uproar, with programmes and anything else nearby fired onto the playing field in disgust to a loud chorus of boos. Subsequently, it was claimed that Murray had offered his resignation after the game, but Des Denning had persuaded him to change his mind.

Eventually, with rumours of acrimony behind the scenes, Prizeman was dropped. After the infamous 1-1 draw with Galway towards the end of the season, Murray, irked by the continuous questioning on the matter by local reporters called the player up from the back of the dressing room to tell reporters there was no problem between the two. The performance was less than convincing. After picking up appendicitis, and missing the last six weeks of the season, Prizeman missed the FAI Cup success. He would never play for the club again, and was released in the summer.

Fans favourite Ger Robinson was another player who enjoyed a tenuous relationship with Murray, clearly angered by his role as substitute. He was also released in January, to First Division Kilkenny City. The incidents with Prizeman, Ward and Robinson led many to question the ability of Murray to deal with his players. However, with the league table position looking extremely grim, Gary Haylock was signed, and Murray consistently told reporters that he knew his side would get out of trouble.

The FAI Cup run conflicted greatly with the stop start League campaign. A fine win away to Finn Harps set up a memorable Oriel Park night, with the 4-0 Cup semi final win over old enemy Shamrock Rovers. Players like Keddy, Kavanagh and McGuinness, who had toiled earlier in the season, suddenly found a new level of performance, and the form spilled over into the end of the League campaign. After a valiant effort to avoid relegation, after a late rally, Dundalk eventually lost out by a point. In any other season, their 10th position would have resulted in a playoff, but the move to a ten team League meant Dundalk went down automatically - despite being eighteen points clear of 11th placed Galway United.

The despair of relegation was followed a week later by one of the greatest days in the history of the club, the Gary Haylock inspired 2-1 win over Bohemians. The scenes of celebration after the final whistle, and in the town that night were incredible, and Murray enjoyed it as much as anyone, proudly leading renditions of "get into them, they're easy" as the float carrying the team toured around town. Undoubtedly, he would have resigned if Dundalk had lost the final. Afterwards, he dumbfounded reporters by claiming that he didn't actually have a contract as manager, with his position as manager only a verbal arrangement.

The hangover after the Cup Final celebrations brought with it the harsh sobering reality of relegation, despite the FAI Cup win. Despite drunken protestations by all and sundry after the Cup that everyone would be staying to ensure the club got back to the top, Stephen McGuinness and James Keddy soon departed. Most shocking of all was the exit of captain David Crawley to Shelbourne, for financial reasons. A move which tellingly displayed the situation the club was in. With the purse strings tightened, Murray brought in only Robbie Brunton and Michael Dempsey, the latter signing confusing those who believed the club had a perfectly good keeper in John Connolly : why have two well paid goalkeepers when the club was losing players in other positions ?

The First Division Cup was regarded as a pointless exercise by Murray, whose side looked equally disinterested in the competition. However, after the 2-1 defeat at home to Finn Harps, the board released a bizarre statement on dundalkfc.com in which they confirmed they had instructed the manager to improve the playing squad.

Europe was meant to be the prize for the Cup Final victory, but it only went to undermine Murray's position, with the 4-5-1 decision in Varazdin, and post match comments after the game where Murray claimed he would get "the Croatians pissed on Guinness" before the return leg leaving Croatian journalists stunned. Laughing after a 5-0 defeat was almost incomprehensible to them.

A good start to the First Division campaign was vital, but a home draw against Dublin City was hardly an ideal start. Another home draw against Cobh was preceded by a 2-1 win away to Limerick. After the Cobh match, and severe criticism of the team from the crowd, Murray expressed relief that the next game was away from home, as his players needed to get away from the Oriel Park crowd. Some felt the manager had a point, others believed he was merely ignoring the fact that the performance in Limerick was equally inept to the Oriel performances. A 2-0 win in Sligo backed up the claims of the former, despite the home side having the ball for most of the ninety minutes.

Tonight's final game against Athlone Town was a shambles, and in truth, departure was inevitable after the game. After a wonderful defensive performance in Sligo, Dundalk completely froze at the back and gifted simple goals to the opposition. As the game went on, the lack of organisation was apparent, with a disastrous switch to 3-4-3 leaving gaps all over the park. Gary Haylock spent most of the last half hour in central midfield, while David Ward ended up as the last man back on one occasion. It was shambles, a sad mess, clearly illustrated by Athlone's comical fourth goal which sparked a mass exodus from the large crowd, leaving Oriel Park desolate and depressed.

The manager wasn't there to see it. Twenty five minutes from time, after a needless dispute with referee and linesman, he was sent off. After sitting down for most of the game, he suddenly seemed to be overcome with rage, and given subsequent events, it wouldn't be overly speculative to suggest that the tirade on the referee was probably so incessant as it contained all the anger and rage he felt about the way in which things were unravelling on the field. To put it in simple terms, he had "lost it" completely. The end was nigh, and there was an air of inevitability about the announcement shortly after the final whistle.

How can you possibly assess the managerial career of Martin Murray? A success, a failure? His remit, to take Dundalk back to the Premier Division and keep them there was not achieved. Yet, his reign brought with it some of the best days in the club's history, courtesy of the FAI Cup run. Murray assembled a squad good enough to win the FAI Cup, yet unable to stay in the top flight. His abilities of motivation have been questioned, with many claiming the FAI Cup victory was a result of the players looking to put themselves in the shop window. According to some, the big game atmosphere, and not the manager, inspired the players to success.

In a period of financial instability, the high turnover of players is an enduring legacy of the Murray era. Players such as Nesovic and Stu Connolly arrived for big money, but completely flopped. While the mindset of the players in question is rightly a talking point of it's own, the fact remains that an expensively assembled squad, that was a huge gamble massively underperformed. The current Dundalk squad has a wage bill of roughly 5,000 euro per week, probably more than double most First Division teams. Nine of them started the FAI Cup Final. Nothing less than first place will do, given the precarious situation the club is in. Therefore, the concession of eight goals in the first three home League games, and a failure to win any of the games in question was simply unacceptable. The manner in which the side folded against Athlone, in a disorganised shambolic state, was simply one bridge too far. Time for a change.

When was Martin Murray ever secure as manager of Dundalk ? Apart from his first three months in charge, he has constantly been under pressure. No one was completely satisfied after the first season. Several times throughout his second season in charge, it seemed like he was on the verge of jumping before he was pushed. The FAI Cup win saved his job, but after relegation, he was always under severe scrutiny. In recent weeks, his interviews have clearly displayed his vulnerability, and the pressure he was under. "Am I under pressure? No. The only person putting me under pressure is you" he told Gerry Malone of LMFM after the 2-2 draw with Cobh.

The recent departure of Frank O'Neill to Shelbourne, also raised doubts about the future of Murray. O'Neill was introduced to the club before the 2001/2 season, and was the man Murray reportedly turned to before making substitutions, and any other decisions of note. For the Presidents Cup Final, ironically against Shelbourne, Murray sat in the stand with his son, while O'Neill looked after things on the line. After a financial dispute, O'Neill left. Murray had previously been told by a club director to "try running the team himself". The authority of Murray was never fully apparent.

So what is the prevailing feeling now? Football fans are fickle. They like change, they like a new signing. Something new to talk about. When things are going bad, something must be changed, and when someone has been there a long time, they are normally the first to be targeted. Only two Dundalk players from the side that started against Athlone played in Murray's first competitive game in charge against Limerick back in August 2000 ; namely, Martin Reilly and David Ward. Are there any other Dundalk players that take more stick from the terraces than those two at the moment?

That said, in the case of Murray, he had to go : but while we look forward to the new arrival, you can't help but feel a tinge of sadness, especially when you hear the dignified manner in which he departed from the club.

A great player, a Dundalk legend, and a manager capable of attracting and convincing players to join the club. A man stubborn in his faith, and belief in the abilities of his side. It would have been fantastic if the tactical nous, and ability to organise and assert authority on his team had also been there. It would have been a match made in heaven, but ultimately, it wasn't to be.

Martin Murray should be given a warm welcome at Oriel Park, should he visit sometime in the future. Yes, we probably all screamed abuse at him, and questioned his sanity regularly. At times, his stubborness was absolutely infuriating. But that's just the way he did things. He made his mistakes, and ultimately, it led to his resignation as manager. Hopefully all those who called for his head, myself included, will lose the anger felt towards the man, and raise a glass to the end of his connection with a club where he has won every single honour in Irish domestic football.

In his final words before leaving, Murray encouraged Dundalk fans to get behind the team for the rest of the season. Let's look forward to a new era in the history of Dundalk FC, and hopefully, in time, when we think of Martin Murray, we'll remember all the good times he enjoyed at the club. Thanks for the memories, Martin.