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Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Glentoran's New Manager, Alan McDonald: "I will do the job on my terms and do it my way"

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BBC - McDonald installed in Glens job
Glentoran have appointed former Northern Ireland captain Alan McDonald as their new manager.
McDonald was assistant to previous boss Paul Millar and had been expected to be part of Roy Walker's backroom team.
Walker was unveiled as the club's new manager last week but was unable to take up the post as he did not hold the required Uefa A Coaching Licence.
Glentoran director of football Tom Dick described the events of recent days as an "absolute unmitigated disaster".
Dick was speaking after McDonald had been given a two-year contract by the Oval board.
The Glentoran official added that he was "very sorry" about how the "board misjudgement" had impacted on Roy Walker.
Dick acknowledged that he was fearful that his friendship with Walker had been affected by recent events.
"It's totally embarrassing and totally disappointing that a football club with the fan base like ours can't come up with a better way of appointing a manager," said the Glentoran official.
"It was allowed to happen because people didn't actually stop and take breath and realise what they were actually doing.
"Roy Walker made the interview panel aware that he didn't have the necessary qualifications but they believed that there was a way of getting around those qualifications. It turned out that there wasn't.
"Roy was a good friend of mine. I hope he'll realise somewhere along the line that no-one set out to personally upset or annoy him.
"I have a lot of respect for Roy and I just think today, if Roy speaks to me again, well, that will show the character of the man."
Dick said that lessons had to be learned but he denied that heads should roll within the Oval boardroom.
New boss McDonald told the assembled media that he had personally asked for Tuesday's press conference to be called.
"I want to put to bed all the negativity that has gone out from this football club over the last eight or nine days," said McDonald.
"I'm the manager of this football club. I'm going away today (with the Northern Ireland Under-21s) and the dust will settle and I will start my job on Monday.
"I will do it on my terms and do it my way. There will be nobody in the background."

Walker is understood to have held discussions with Glentoran officials on Monday.
When contacted on Monday evening, Walker said that he was "considering" his response and would release a statement to the media later this week. BBC

See Also: QPR Report "For Glentoran's ex-QPR Alan McDonald an Eventful Year"

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