O’Riordan emerges as front-runner for Athlone Town job

The search for Athlone Town's new manager continues this week and it is believed that the former Galway Utd and Sligo Rovers manager Don O'Riordan is now the front-runner to take over the reins at Lissywoollen. O'Riordan, who managed Galway from 1997 to 2001, and guided the Tribesmen to promotion from the First Division, has been working as part of Sheffield Utd's coaching academy in China in recent years. O'Riordan would come with a highly reputable coaching reputation. Although Athlone Town FC would not officially comment on individual names this week, it's believed the club have been in contact with O'Riordan over recent weeks, and have identified him as their preferred candidate. An Athlone Town FC spokesperson said: “We can confirm the club is in solid negotiations with a number of candidates, however, negotiations are at a pivotal point and we can't comment on individuals at this stage, except to say that we are making steady progress. “It was hoped that an announcement would be made this week on the manager's position and we are confident that this announcement will happen sooner rather than later.†If appointed, it's believed that O'Riordan's role at the club would be on a full-time basis, with the former China women's coach also having duties on the commercial side of the club. O'Riordan's appointment, if it comes to light, would represent something of a new departure for the club, with the manager expected to be based full-time in Athlone, and to oversee all football matters at the club. O'Riordan, originally from Dublin, began his coaching career in 1993 when he took a player-coach role at Torquay Utd, before months later becoming Torquay's manager and helping them reach the English Division 3 play-offs. As well as being seen as a promoter of young players, the former Derby County and Notts County player also has a reputation for drafting in Caribbean-based players to his clubs, and attracted Gregory Guttridge and Rodney Jack to Torquay, the latter of whom went on to be sold by Torquay to Crewe for a reported £1 million. O'Riordan also had spells coaching at Scarborough and Gloucester City before joining Galway in 1997, steering the Tribesmen to promotion in his second season in charge. He also helped Galway reach two FAI Cup semi-finals and sustained Premier Division football at Terryland Park for two years before mutually agreeing to part ways in 2001. During his time at Galway, O'Riordan signed three players from Barbados, and one of them (Eric Lavine) went on to have a spell with Athlone Town during the latter stages of his League of Ireland career. O'Riordan went on to have three years with Sligo Rovers and is credited with setting up structured youth policies at both the Showgrounds and at Galway Utd. O'Riordan worked very closely with third level college teams in Galway and Sligo, and he guided the IT Sligo senior women's team to a national league title. O'Riordan also managed a League of Ireland semi-professional selection at a Home Nations' tournament in England in 2001. Since leaving Ireland in 2004, O'Riordan has been employed full-time by Sheffield Utd in China, working at their academy in Chengdu. He had a caretaker role as manager of Chengdu Blades' senior team and has also done coaching work with the China Women's and South Africa Women's teams in the recent past. His younger brother, Brendan O'Riordan, played for Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers, and his older brother, Dermot, is the chairman of Cherry Orchard FC in Dublin.