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Monday, March 25, 1996

Following a string of poor results, Michael Bennett has resigned as manager of Waterford United. The club have only picked up one win in their last eleven matches, and as some members of the board have already publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the former striker's performance, perhaps Bennett felt now was the time to leave, instead of waiting for the chop. It was probably inevitable in the end that he decided to go as most people definitely felt that he would not be in charge come September, and the 1996/97 season.
Bennett is the latest manager in a long line at the club whose stay was not a long one during the last ten years, and joins the two men who preceeded him, Johnny Matthews and Brendan Ormsby, in only managing the club for a season. The press release issued by Waterford United Chairman Bertie Rogers on Monday reads like this:

"Michael Bennett has informed me that he is resigning his position as manager of Waterford United F.C. Michael's resignation does not come as a surprise, as over the last two or three months he found it very difficult to perform his duties due to his personal and business commitments. He has decided to go at this stage of the season, so as to give the club every opportunity of building for the coming 1996/97 season. We, in Waterford United, are grateful to Michael for the professional manner in which he carried out his duties for the club, and the manner in which he has given the club time to build for next season. We wish Michael every success for the future and encourage him to keep close ties with the club for the remaining four games of the present season. The management of the club will be under the control of our General Manager, Peter Fitzgerald."

So, for any future Waterford United manager, beware the Ides of March. It was on March 21st last year that Johnny Matthews was sacked as manager with four matches remaining. Today, on the 25th of March, one year and four days on, Matthews' replacement has decided to call it a day again with four matches left.
And what many thought would happen has come to pass. General Manager Peter Fitzgerald takes over the reigns of the club as caretaker manager, for the remainder of the season at least.