Galway United are ready to roll

Date Published: {J}

Keith Kelly

THE club rescued from the brink, a new squad in place and the start of a new Premier Division season – all that is needed now is rolling Star Wars-style credits on the scoreboard declaring ‘A New Hope’ before Galway United get their 2011 campaign underway at home to St Patrick’s Athletic in Terryland Park next Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm).

Denied a licence early last week to compete in the league, United successfully appealed that decision and were restored to the top flight in a committee room last Friday. Next week the attention turns to securing that status on the pitch.

Manager Sean Connor kept his head low during the turmoil of the last week, making contact with players he was interested in bringing into the club, and once the FAI announced last Friday morning that United’s appeal was successful, the manager began the process of finalising his squad for the new campaign.

“I’ve found it very frustrating, it has been an extremely tough time but we have come through it and we need to focus on keeping this club in the Premier Division. I had players lined up to sign, but had to wait until I knew what division we were in, so really we have only had two weeks to prepare for the new season.

“I think I have stitched together a squad that will see us through until July, and hopefully when the transfer window opens we can strengthen the side. You could say that the club was within a few hours of going out of business last week, so maybe it was the wake-up call we all need.

“I want to be part of the solution now. We need to build bridges with the community and plead with businesses and the public to get behind us. The days of big sponsorship are gone, we need to get small deals, but plenty of them, and build this club up again from scratch,” Connor told Tribune Sport this week.

Stephen Walsh, Paul Sinnott and Gary Curran – first-team regulars from last season – have all re-signed for the club, as has Alan Murphy, who missed the entirety of the 2010 campaign through injury.

Shaun Kelly and Steve Feeney, who played under Connor for Dundalk and Sligo Rovers respectively, have joined the club while exciting winger Karl Moore – who has been on the books of Manchester City and Millwall, and played for UCD at the latter end of last season – has also signed, as has Enda Curran from Mervue United.

Connor is waiting for international clearance to complete the loan signing of three players from SPL side St Mirren, and the manager is hoping for a better outcome than the attempt to bring Rhys Meynell back, as his paperwork was not completed in time and so he is not available until July.

“Pre-season has been abysmal. We have won three of the four friendlies we played, which is better than last season, but I have basically being training with our A squad. There is an issue with clearance for some players, and Sligo Rovers have mucked us around in relation to two others, which is very disappointing.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.