County appoint new MD

Stockport County have appointed Sean Connolly to act as Chief Executive. Sean starts on Thursday and from all us at Vital Stockport and the wider County family I would like to wish you the best of luck Sean.

Since the resignation of Mark Maguire I would imagine the Club (as distinct from the Trust who oversee the club but do not run it) has been a little directionless. The appointment of Sean sounds like good news for a couple of reasons.

Here is a snippet of what Martin Reid says (you can read the full extract on the official site COWS)

‘[Sean] will join the club on Thursday. Previously he was working at senior level in the Irish Department of Finance.During the so-called Jack Charlton era in Irish football he was General Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland and is credited with moving the Association from a cash-strapped organisation to a multi-million business in a short number of years…’

Well, a guy who turned around the FAI would seem to be a bit of a coup. Sean’s c.v. also boasts a spell at his home town club of Dundalk where he helped turn around what was a basket case [my words] into an Irish Premier league side that has shown a profit for the last two years.

It is the fact that Jim’s managerial career began at Dundalk that leads me to think this appointment is very much a Jim appointment. If that is the case would that say to you Jim Gannon is now ready to try to shape off the field matters as well as matters on the field?

Would that say to you that Jim is laying foundations for a longer spell at the club – certainly longer then up until the end of the season – which was forecast by many County fans after the little ‘flirt’ down at Brighton?

I really hope so. Maybe Jim will become not just manager but director of football in a re-invigorated Stockport County.

Wishful thinking or the way ahead?

Let me know your thoughts at the usual address stockport @ vitalfootball.co.uk



Ol Pop