Lennon steps down as joint manager of Athlone Town
Speculation mounted ahead of Athlone Town’s away game against Bray Wanderers last Friday night about a change in the team management.
Dermot Lennon and Gordon Brett started the 2023 season as joint managers, with Lennon having been appointed as interim Athlone manager in April 2022 following the departure of Martin Russell.
The club has confirmed that Lennon has stepped away from his position as joint first team manager, but he will continue in his director of football role.
“Dermot stepped in as manager last season and he did a hell of a job for the club. He was already director of football before he stepped in as manager and he continues in that role,” Michael O’Connor of Athlone Town AFC told the Westmeath Independent.
It’s understood that Gordon Brett has been offered the chance to continue his involvement with the senior team as head coach.
Brett, who is also involved with the club at underage level, is expected to clarify his intentions in the coming days.
Portuguese coach Dario Castelo was listed on the Athlone Town teamsheet as one of the coaches for last Friday night’s game, as the club undergoes some changes as a result of the partnership with the USA-based Valeo Futbol Club.
O’Connor described the recently announced strategic partnership deal with Valeo FC as “the best thing that has ever happened the club”.
“We had to wait for an opportunity for investors to come in who will bring the club to another level,” he said.
Speaking about the management situation after the Bray Wanderers match, Dermot Lennon told Midlands 103: “The club is all about moving forward. That’s something that was always in the plan. It probably happened a little bit quicker than people thought it might.
“That’s football and that’s the way it goes. Everyone just moves on and does whatever needs to be done to keep things going right. The important thing is that the players keep at it.
“There will also be different people in different dugouts. That happens all over the world every day of the week in every league. That’s the normal part of football management.
“I’m back doing the director of football role, that’s what I’m doing, liaising between the first ream and the kids. It might take a while for it all to settle back in again,” Lennon continued.
As for the Bray match itself – which Wanderers won by 1-0 - Lennon felt Athlone were “unlucky” not to get something out of it.
“We had some good chances in the first half, probably needed to take at least one of them,” he said.
“Bray came out very strong in the second half and it was difficult after that. We still had a couple of chances at the end. We rode our luck a couple of times, one or two hit the crossbar. They are a good side as we all know, but it was still a good performance by the lads,” Lennon added.